The ATG Teams General arguing/discussing thread

[harsh.ag]

Crowe also picked Wasim over Imran in the first XI which has never ever made sense to me, yet that's what all the experts seem to do. Baffling.

Awta

Nah, there are ample reasons to go for Wasim over Imran as a pure bowler. After a great peak, Imran never got around to be the spearhead of the attack again after injury, even though he still had stellar figures to show for this period anyway. So perhaps that impression has been left in everyone's head that as a pure bowler, Wasim had a better career than Imran. This is not totally incorrect either. Plus, Wasim did produce more magic than Imran on the pitch. I think even Smali would admit to that.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

All the greats pick Wasim in their XI and he is rated the best by those he played against (Lara, Donald, Tendulkar, etc).

 

[Red]

I'd like to see Davidson and Lindwall in there too. But I guess there are only 50 spots. Kumble the obvious one who could make way.

 

[harsh.ag]

I'd like to see Davidson and Lindwall in there too. But I guess there are only 50 spots. Kumble the obvious one who could make way.

Grimmett and Bedser I would say. Linwall and Davidson in for them.

 

[watson]

Grimmett and Bedser I would say. Linwall and Davidson in for them.

Bedser has to stay as he was Englands premier bowler for too many years.

Can't see why Dravid makes the list since Crowe bypassed Boycott and Barrington. Lindwall in for Dravid.

 

[Prince EWS]

Davo would make my list even if I only named 20 I think.

 

[fredfertang]

You can tell Crowe doesn't earn a living from writing as he has conspicuously failed to make any controversial selections - was expecting to see Ewen Chatfield's name there

 

[smash84]

Nah, there are ample reasons to go for Wasim over Imran as a pure bowler. After a great peak, Imran never got around to be the spearhead of the attack again after injury, even though he still had stellar figures to show for this period anyway. So perhaps that impression has been left in everyone's head that as a pure bowler, Wasim had a better career than Imran. This is not totally incorrect either. Plus, Wasim did produce more magic than Imran on the pitch. I think even Smali would admit to that.

Sure Wasim produced more magical deliveries than Imran but you are wrong on the count that Imran wasn't the spearhead of the attack post injury. He was the spearhead of the attack until the 88-89 series against the WI. IT is only after that that Wasim took over.

 

[kyear2]

I'd like to see Davidson and Lindwall in there too. But I guess there are only 50 spots. Kumble the obvious one who could make way.

Lindwall, Davidson, Sangakkara, Steyn in for Kumble, Dravid, Bedser and Evans would be my choices but nothing really to quibble about too much.

 

[Coronis]

3 XI's

Ashes (Australia + England)
Jack Hobbs
Herbert Sutcliffe
Don Bradman*
Wally Hammond
Greg Chappell
Allan Border
Adam Gilchrist+
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Sydney Barnes
Glenn McGrath

Yes, no Miller or Botham. With a tail of Warne/Lillee/Barnes/McGrath, I went with Border for the extra stability.

Asia (India + Pakistan + Sri Lanka + Bangladesh)
Sunil Gavaskar
Virender Sehwag
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
Kumar Sangakkara+
Javed Miandad
Imran Khan*
Kapil Dev
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Muttiah Muralitharan

Managed to have both Imran and Kapil in here, really think this team has great chemistry.

Rest of the World
Barry Richards
Gordon Greenidge
George Headley
Graeme Pollock
Brian Lara
Garry Sobers
Andy Flower+
Mike Procter
Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Curtly Ambrose

This team does fall a bit short on spin, though both Sobers and Procter can turn it. Nobody from WI/SA/NZ/ZIM comes anywhere near Warne or Murali anyway.

 

[Red]

Australia/England XI

J. Hobbs
L. Hutton
D. Bradman *
G.Chappell
W. Hammond
I. Botham
A. Knott +
S. Warne
D. Lillee
F. Trueman
G. McGrath

12th- K Miller

Asia XI

S. Gavaskar
F. Engineer +
K. Sangakkara
S. Tendulkar
J. Miandad
V. Hazare
K. Dev
I. Khan *
W. Akram
B.S. Chandrasekhar
M. Muralitharan

12th- W. Younis

Rest of World

B. Richards
G. Greenidge
G. Headley
B. Lara
V. Richards *
G. Sobers
M. Procter
J. Waite +
R. Hadlee
M. Marshall
C. Ambrose

12th- H. Tayfield

 

[kyear2]

3 XI's

Ashes (Australia + England)
Jack Hobbs
Herbert Sutcliffe
Don Bradman*
Wally Hammond
Greg Chappell
Allan Border
Adam Gilchrist+
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Sydney Barnes
Glenn McGrath

Yes, no Miller or Botham. With a tail of Warne/Lillee/Barnes/McGrath, I went with Border for the extra stability.

Asia (India + Pakistan + Sri Lanka + Bangladesh)
Sunil Gavaskar
Virender Sehwag
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
Kumar Sangakkara+
Javed Miandad
Imran Khan*
Kapil Dev
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Muttiah Muralitharan

Managed to have both Imran and Kapil in here, really think this team has great chemistry.

Rest of the World
Barry Richards
Gordon Greenidge
George Headley
Brian Lara
Jacques Kallis
Garry Sobers
Andy Flower+
Mike Procter
Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Curtly Ambrose

This team does fall a bit short on spin, though both Sobers and Procter can turn it. Nobody from WI/SA/NZ/ZIM comes anywhere near Warne or Murali anyway.

So what really do you have against Vivian Richards?

He is comfortably a better batsman than Kallis and let's be honest Hammond and Pollock as well.

 

[fredfertang]

Viv = Chandra's bunny

 

[kyear2]

Ashes XI
Sir Jack Hobbs
Sir Leonard Hutton
Sir Donald Bradman
Greg Chappell
Walter Hammond
Alan Border
Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne
Fred Trueman
Dennis Lillee
Glenn McGrath

Ricky Ponting

Subcontinent XI
Sunil Gavaskar
Vijay Merchant
Kumar Sangakkara
Sachin Tendulkar
Javed Miandad
Vijay Hazare
Farokh Engineer
Imran Khan
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Muttiah Muralitharan

Kapil Dev

Rest of the World XI
Barry Richards
Gordon Greenidge
George Headley
Sir I.V.A. Richards
Brian Lara
Sir Garfield Sobers
John Waite
Sir Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Hugh Tayfield
Sir Curtly Ambrose

Jacques Kallis

Sub continent team probably the hardest to select, all three are really strong teams. Hard to call a winner.

 

[Coronis]

Oh **** forgot Pollock. Oh and also, don't have much of a thing for Viv due to him only averaging 45 for the entire second half of his career...

 

[Red]

don't have much of a thing for Viv due to him only averaging 45 for the entire second half of his career...

He was seriously unreal.

 

[Coronis]

He was seriously unreal.

I know he was great at his peak, quite possibly the most destructive batsman ever, I just don't rate him as highly as others due to his decline

 

[kyear2]

And Pollock didn't get a chance to decline because he career lasted 20 Tests over 5 years? As for Viv averaging 45 over the second half of his career, how many averaged more over that period and compare the bowlers he faced even during that time to the ones faced by Hammond and Pollock, who somehow managed to miss facing every great fast bowler of his era and when he did face Lillee, he basically said Pollock wasn't comfortable vs the short stuff. Hammond for his part struggled against the only real pace attack he faced and it wasn't that great.
If Viv had retired after the same amount of tests as Chappell (when he admittedly should have) his average would also have been over 53 and if he hadn't missed two years in his absolute prime when he was playing WSC, his record would have been even more impressive.

To each their own, I just don't get the logic.

 

[kyear2]

Australia XI

Arthur Morris
Bob Simpson
Don Bradman
Greg Chappell
Ricky Ponting
Alan Border
Adam Gilchrist
Alan Davidson
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Glenn McGrath

Keith Miller
Bill O'Reilly

W.I XI

Gordon Greenidge
Conrad Hunte
George Headley
Viv Richards
Brian Lara
Garry Sobers
Clyde Walcott
Malcolm Marshall
Michael Holding
Curtly Ambrose
Joel Garner

Lance Gibbs
Frank Worrell

S.A XI

Barry Richards
Graeme Smith
Hashim Amla
Graeme Pollock
Jacques Kallis
Dudley Nourse
John Waite
Mike Procter
Hugh Tayfield
Dale Steyn
Allan Donald

Aubrey Faulkner
Herbie Taylor

England XI

Len Hutton
Jack Hobbs
Wally Hammond
Denis Compton
Ken Barrington
Ian Botham
Allan Knott
Fred Trueman
Harold Larwood
Jim Laker
Syd Barnes

Peter May
Derek Underwood

Who would win guys?

 

[G.I.Joe]

Aus XI