What is your ALL TIME WORLD XI TEAM for tests?

[kyear2]

I don't understand how Marshall could be rated below Lillee.

Me either to be honest.

 

[harsh.ag]

I don't understand how Marshall could be rated below Lillee.

Me either to be honest.

Breathtaking action. Majestic gait. Stunning mustache. Remarkable intensity. Fiery pace in first half of career, cunning guile in second. Mentors kids in India. Told Sachin to stop ****ing around and concentrate on batting. What else do you need?

 

[Coronis]

Procter a terrific player, i generally pick him, Marshall, Warne and one of Imran, Hadlee or Miller with Sobers the 5th bowler for my attack. With this combination you also get all the types of bowling which i think is fitting, though obviously not required for an all time XI. Marshall, Procter then Imran/Hadlee/Miller offering the pace, Warne with his leg spin, Sobers with chinaman and SLA and Procter could bowl off spin.

I always forget he could bowl off spin as well. Also an excellent slipper too, if memory serves correctly. Also can never forget 6 centuries in 6 consecutive innings, matched only by Fry and the Don. If only, if only. Never seen any footage of him bowling off spin, sadly.

 

[King Pietersen]

Jack Hobbs
Barry Richards
Don Bradman
IVA Richards
Sachin Tendulkar
Garry Sobers
Adam Gilchrist +
Shane Warne
Malcolm Marshall
Sydney Barnes
Glenn McGrath

 

[kyear2]

It's hard to go past Sunny and Hutton if you want a couple of openers to take on some serious pace heat. Tough leaving Hobbs out but it's more a personal preference for me.

Hobbs would have dealt with his fair share of pace in his day as well, and occasionally on worse pitches.

 

[Red]

Hobbs would have dealt with his fair share of pace in his day as well, and occasionally on worse pitches.

I can't exactly explain why, but I get the feeling Hobbs is slightly overrated, partly due to the length of his career.

 

[kyear2]

I understand what you mean, the fact that he was so successful even at such an advanced age doesn't speak highly of the opposition.

 

[watson]

I can't exactly explain why, but I get the feeling Hobbs is slightly overrated, partly due to the length of his career.

Perhaps it's the same old problem of not having meaningful footage of pre-War (either one) fast bowlers. Consequently we place more value on Hutton, Simpson, Gavaskar, Greenidge , or Gooch because we can actually know how good most of the new ball bowlers were from the 1950s onwards. We may even have seen the West Indian quicks that Gooch faced live at Lords, or the SCG perhaps..

However, on the other hand it is difficult to judge how fast, accurate, and (above all) consistent the likes of Cotter, Jones, Gregory, and McDonald were. Therefore, there will always be a lingering doubt about the skill of Hobbs because we are mostly dealing with the unknown despite the many pages written about the bowlers of Hobb's era.

 

[Coronis]

I understand what you mean, the fact that he was so successful even at such an advanced age doesn't speak highly of the opposition.

Why? Does it not speak highly of his abilities at that age, since no other batsman of his time (or any other) was able to continue being that successful at that age? Oh and Hobbs being overrated. Thats a good one. Lost 5 of what could've been his best years due to the war, came back after the war at age 38, and was still the best batsman in the world until he was well over 45.

 

[Flametree]

With the exception of Bradman and possibly Grace, pre-war Hobbs is further ahead of his contemporaries than any other batsman in history.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Why? Does it not speak highly of his abilities at that age, since no other batsman of his time (or any other) was able to continue being that successful at that age? Oh and Hobbs being overrated. Thats a good one. Lost 5 of what could've been his best years due to the war, came back after the war at age 38, and was still the best batsman in the world until he was well over 45.

Yeah because someone who's pretty much unanimously called the greatest opener of all time can't be overrated?

 

[Zinzan]

Depends on what day of the week you ask me, but for today I'll go with;

Jack Hobbs
Sunny Gavaskar
Don Bradman
Brian Lara
Wally Hammond
Garry Sobers
Adam Gilchrist+
Imran Khan
Sir Dick Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Shane Warne*

Lara marginally over G Pollock & Headley at no.4 (could go another way on a diff day) and Hammond nudging out Kallis as the no 5 batting all-rounder. The rest was relatively easy.

And might be a surprise for some, but the greatest Test Captain Australia never had to skipper the side.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Depends on what day of the week you ask me, but for today I'll go with;

Jack Hobbs
Sunny Gavaskar
Don Bradman*
Brian Lara
Wally Hammond
Garry Sobers
Adam Gilchrist+
Imran Khan
Sir Dick Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Shane Warne

Lara marginally over G Pollock & Headley at no.4 (could go another way on a diff day) and Hammond nudging out Kallis as the no 5 batting all-rounder. The rest was relatively easy.

Viv?

 

[Zinzan]

Viv?

Yes? What about him?

 

[Flametree]

Because I simply don't know quite how to rate the likes of Grace, Barnes, Trumper, even Ranji Jackson, or Lohmann... my best-of's tend to only include cricket post WW1.

So
Hutton
Gavaskar
Bradman
Headley
Richards (Viv)
Sobers
Gilchrist *
Marshall
Warne
??
Lillee


I genuinely struggle to pick that third seamer's spot. Imran, Procter, Hadlee, Lindwall or Davidson could bat at 8, Ambrose and McGrath might be marginally better bowlers. If we could just take players at their peaks then Botham is well worth a shout. However, if forced to stick a name in there, I tend to go for Trueman, who is one of those players seemingly not rated too highly on here.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Yes? What about him?

lets just say its a breath of fresh air

 

[the big bambino]

I understand what you mean, the fact that he was so successful even at such an advanced age doesn't speak highly of the opposition.

That's not what he meant.

 

[kyear2]

Why? Does it not speak highly of his abilities at that age, since no other batsman of his time (or any other) was able to continue being that successful at that age? Oh and Hobbs being overrated. Thats a good one. Lost 5 of what could've been his best years due to the war, came back after the war at age 38, and was still the best batsman in the world until he was well over 45.

Was just responding to what Monk said and it bears some consideration.

 

[kyear2]

lets just say its a breath of fresh air

?

 

[kyear2]

Richards, Tendulkar, Lara, Headley, Chappell, Hammond and Pollock all have legitimate claims to the 4 and 5 spots in an ATG XI. Hammond, Chappel and Lara brings more value to the team with their superb slip fielding and for the first two they were also handy bowlers but Hammond had his struggles in test cricket (similar to Weekes) vs fast short pitched bowling and apparently from evidence from some players of his era, so did Pollock. For the No. 4 batsman in this team, being able to handle fast bowling is paramount. Additionally as great as Pollock and Headley undoubtebly were, with 20 Tests played(even though Headley ' s were stretched over a decade and only against the two top teams of his era) it's difficult to surpass what Viv, Sachin, Chappel and Lara accomplished though it's not to say they were inferior.
That leaves me with Viv, Sachin, Lara and Chappell. Chappell was seen as the clear second to Viv in their era and with the equally brilliant Sobers at 2nd slip it reduces the need for Chappell at that crucial fielding position. Viv was better against pace than either and more capable of dominating any attack so he gets my number 4 spot behind Bradman. Imagine the carnage. Between Lara and Sachin. Lara brings the advantage of a left hander in the order and another top quality slipper next to Sobers and was also capable of destroying an attack, but with Bradman and Viv above him and Sobers and Gilchrist below, that's not a real requirement. They were both exception vs spin but Sachin probably more efficient against pace. So while Lara had the higher peak (of most actually) and Chappel was comparable in style and both would boost the cordon ( Viv and Warne are more than good enough at 1st and 3rd) Sachin with his weight of numbers and consistency edges them both. The no. 5 spot though for me is one of the 3 hardest spots to fill.