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3 format players and a 3 format XI

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Ok.. we all know how different the 3 formats of the games are from each other and how difficult it is to transfer the skills across formats.. Inverarity chips in here..


But how about ranking the players on how good they are across the different formats. This is not a place where the old CW Maxim of Test Cricket is most important would apply. Let's start with the criteria that ALL 3 formats are equally important. Who are the best in the world given this criteria? And what would be the best XI? For convenience, you can change the positions in the line up as you see fit. Here is mine:


David Warner
Shane Watson
Kevin Pietersen
Virat Kohli
AB De Villiers
Shakib Al Hasan
MS Dhoni (wk) (c)
Dale Steyn
Saeed Ajmal
Umar Gul
Tim Southee (?)



And for mine, the best players in the world right now across the formats are KP and ABDV.. Thoughts?
 

theegyptian

International Vice-Captain
Plenty of spin options. Ajmal, Swann, Ashwin.

Morkel should definitely be in there and probably Broad as well instead of Gul and Southee.

I'd suggest Gayle, Kohli, Jayawardene, KP, De Villiers, Watson, Dhoni, Broad, Steyn, Morkel, Ajmal





Top order a bit light but short on openers who play 3 formats. Maybe Warner but then have to drop maybe Kohli and I'd still have Jayawardene at 3 which is a worry. Maybe sacrifice Jayawardene for Warner and bat Kohli at 3 would be a better balance of a team even if i think Jayawardene is better over the three formats than Warner and probably Kohli.
 
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Dan

Hall of Fame Member
David Warner
Hashim Amla
Virat Kohli
Kevin Pietersen
AB de Villiers +
Mike Hussey *
Shakib al Hasan [5]
Mitchell Johnson [2]
Dale Steyn [1]
Morne Morkel [3]
Saeed Ajmal [4]

12th Steven Finn

Very harsh on Finn (and lucky for Mitch), but I wanted to add a touch more batting depth in there.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
David Warner
Hashim Amla
Virat Kohli
Kevin Pietersen
AB de Villiers +
Mike Hussey *
Shakib al Hasan [5]
Mitchell Johnson [2]
Dale Steyn [1]
Morne Morkel [3]
Saeed Ajmal [4]

12th Steven Finn

Very harsh on Finn (and lucky for Mitch), but I wanted to add a touch more batting depth in there.
I'd pick Starc ahead of Johnson in all three formats individually. I'm not saying Starc should be in the side necessarily, but if Johnson's the best we can come up with then I really do think Starc is comfortably ahead of him.

Really don't think we should be picking retired blokes either. :p
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I'd pick Kallis, too. He's certainly not what you'd call a great T20 cricketer but he does his role well enough; his average is very good and striking at 119 is good for an anchor. Useful fifth/sixth bowling option in the side as well.

I'd also like to nominate Marlon Samuels.
 

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
1. Shane Watson (3)
2. Hashim Amla
3. Marlon Samuels
4. Jacques Kallis (4)
5. Kevin Pietersen
6. Virat Kohli
7. AB de Villiers +
8. Graeme Swann (6)
9. Morne Morkel (2)
10. Dale Steyn (1)
11. Saeed Ajmal (5)

Batting line up is probably a bit top heavy, and the bowling attack could arguably do with another quality seamer, but I like the idea of potentially using two spinners, especially in the shorter formats. Watson is a pretty good bowler if he's taking it seriously too.

I don't really like the idea of de Villiers keeping, but I can't think of who else could do it. Dhoni is probably the best of the specialist keepers, but I don't really want him in the test side. His T20I record isn't as great as most would think either. Maybe Sangakarra could come in and take the gloves, but the last thing this XI needs is another top order batsman. If that's what you do, then you'd probably have to remove Samuels and bring in a more regular lower order bat and finisher. Trouble is, not many great finishers are quality test batsman.

Actually the more I think about it, the more I'm tempted to bring Shakib in for Kallis and play Broad instead of Swann. That's probably what I'd do tbh.
 
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Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Mahela Jayawardene.
Yeah I was going to say that, but he's a funny one in that he's actually quite gash at ODIs despite being gun in Tests and T20s. The exception of course is when he opens the batting, but I think the exercise would force us to make him open in all formats, and I don't really think he'd be a great Test opener.
 

Jarquis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Surely you could change your batting order from format to format?
Drop Amla to 3 in ODIs.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Yeah I was going to say that, but he's a funny one in that he's actually quite gash at ODIs despite being gun in Tests and T20s. The exception of course is when he opens the batting, but I think the exercise would force us to make him open in all formats, and I don't really think he'd be a great Test opener.
Surely you could change your batting order from format to format?
Drop Amla to 3 in ODIs.

Yep.. you can always move the players around for diff. formats. It just needs to the same XI.. I was tempted to say 12 but then it gives more flexibility as we will just end up bringing in at least one specialist player for the formats. :)


Good sides so far.. I didn't think of Mahela, tbh. He would be a big shout as well. Too bad about Hussey retiring as he would have obviously solved a lot of issues about finishers in ODIs and T20s and opening in tests, helping us out with playing someone like Mahela as an opener in the LO formats.
 

BackFootPunch

International 12th Man
McCullum probably in with a shout for the wider squad at least. Wouldn't crack the XIs put up so far but probably deserves to be in the conversation.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Okay so I've done a bit of checking using the ICC Rankings and have added up batting rankings each in the 3 codes (lowest score is the best) and did the same for bowling - I did not factor in the batting of the bowlers or the bowling of the batters.

The Top 7 Batsman
Sangakarra 26
McCullum 30
De Villiers 31
Kohli 35
Dilshan 47
Kallis 49
Jayawardene/Dhoni 50

The Top 4 bowlers
Ajmal 7
Steyn 24
Finn 26
Swann 30

Reserve bats: Watson 52, RTaylor 61, Gayle 63
Reserve bowlers: Ashwin 38, Morkel 40, Shakib 52

I'm sure someone can make a decent team out of that.
 
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NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Which means:

ICC 3 format combined XI
1. Dilshan
2. McCullum
3. Sangakarra
4. Kallis
5. De Villiers
6. Kohli
7. Dhoni
8. Swann
9. Steyn
10. Ajmal
11. Finn

12. Jayawardene
 

morgieb

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Warner
Watson
Amla
Pietersen
Kohli
De Villiers
Shakib
Broad
Steyn
Morkel
Ajmal
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Okay so I've done a bit of checking using the ICC Rankings and have added up batting rankings each in the 3 codes (lowest score is the best) and did the same for bowling - I did not factor in the batting of the bowlers or the bowling of the batters.

The Top 7 Batsman
Sangakarra 26
McCullum 30
De Villiers 31
Kohli 35
Dilshan 47
Kallis 49
Jayawardene/Dhoni 50

The Top 4 bowlers
Ajmal 7
Steyn 24
Finn 26
Swann 30

Reserve bats: Watson 52, RTaylor 61, Gayle 63
Reserve bowlers: Ashwin 38, Morkel 40, Shakib 52

I'm sure someone can make a decent team out of that.
lol @ top 3 being all keepers :)
 

MrPrez

International Debutant
1) Gayle
2) Watson
3) Amla
4) Kallis
5) de Villiers
6) Pieterson
7) Samuels
8) Swann
9) Steyn
10) Morkel
11) Ajmal
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
Gayle
Watson
Amla
Kallis
Samuels
McCullum
Dhoni
Ajmal
Gul
Steyn
Morkel

Hussey misses out because he's not playing test cricket anymore. Otherwise he'd be a shoe-in ahead of McCullum
 

theegyptian

International Vice-Captain
tbh i wasn't including kallis or amla because they both aren't playing one of the formats at present afaik.
 

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