Your World XI for 2014

[smash84]

I admire your love for Freddie

 

[NZTailender]

Warner
Vijay
Sangakkara
Smith
ABdV
Mathews
McCullum (wk)
Johnson
Harris
Steyn
Herath

Wanted Amla in there, but Smith and AB have had arguably better years.

Similar teams

1. M Vijay
2. D Warner
3. K Sangakarra
4. S Smith
5. B McCullum
6. A Mathews
7. S Ahmed/BJ Watling+
8. M Johnson
9. R Harris
10. D Steyn
11. Herath
12th: T Southee


Went with specialists for openers & keeper. Ahmed had a monster year with the bat, whilst Watling took the most dismissals and kept superbly.

Anyway, what's everyones Favourite XI of the year? Based on matches seen live:

1. A Shehzad
2. T Latham
3. K Williamson
4. V Kohli
5. B McCullum
6. A Mathews
7. BJ Watling+
8. T Southee
9. Kaushal
10. T Boult
11. K Roach

 

[Flem274*]

Sarfraz can't catch. Surely you have to be a bit cheaty and pick ABdV or go with Watling?

 

[Flem274*]

Shakib > Herath too

Steyn, Harris, Johnson, Shakib and Mathews should be the attack unless you want to bump Shakib up and drop a batsman so either Herath or Southee can come in depending on the conditions.

 

[Red]

Just scrolling thru the stats for 2014 and see Root averages nearly 100 from 7 tests.

 

[Chubb]

Warner
Vijay
Younis Khan
McCullum
SPD Smith
AB de Villiers + (just for a game or two as keeper)
Shakib
Johnson
Southee
Anderson
Boult

 

[GIMH]

Just scrolling thru the stats for 2014 and see Root averages nearly 100 from 7 tests.

And to think people used to think Kohli was better than him

 

[Cabinet96]

Just scrolling thru the stats for 2014 and see Root averages nearly 100 from 7 tests.

Missed the last Ashes test then feasted on India.

 

[morgieb]

Shakib > Herath too

Steyn, Harris, Johnson, Shakib and Mathews should be the attack unless you want to bump Shakib up and drop a batsman so either Herath or Southee can come in depending on the conditions.

Nah. Herath won a series against Pakistan off his own ball, Shakib basically dominated Zimbabwe and that's it.

 

[NZTailender]

Sarfraz can't catch. Surely you have to be a bit cheaty and pick ABdV or go with Watling?

ABdV has kept in about 4 matches this year, and he's actually had a quiet year with the bat (for his standards, and compared to the top run-scorers of the year - and yeah, he hasn't played as many Tests). Ahmed had a gun year with the bat; also had the most stumpings.

 

[NZTailender]

Nah. Herath won a series against Pakistan off his own ball, Shakib basically dominated Zimbabwe and that's it.

Yeah, that's why I didn't pick him Flem.

 

[Flem274*]

Zimbabwe are underrated obvz.

 

[NZTailender]

Zimbabwe are underrated obvz.

Panyangara unlucky to miss out TBH

 

[GIMH]

Missed the last Ashes test then feasted on India.

His feasting on India was kinda important though. The bigger point for me is that all his Tests were at home. It's away where he has a lot to prove.

 

[hendrix]

I know Anderson had a good revival vs India but Southee has been ahead of him for a while now and his overseas performances have got to trump Anderson at home, IMO.

Also, Sarfraz is a terrible keeper. Could play him as a batsman if you like but his keeping is horrendous.

 

[Immenso]

Sarfraz keeping was Akmalesque in the series I saw. Flabbergasted he is in so many lists.

 

[morgieb]

Big problem with finding a better pure keeper than Sarfraz is that there haven't been too many good batsman-keepers this year. De Villiers hasn't kept all that much this year and he's been underwhelming this year (though in fairness he batted very well against Australia), Watling's been OK but probably not quite World XI standard, and who else? Yes Sarfraz was poor against New Zealand, but I don't think he was that bad against Australia?

 

[Burgey]

It depends on how this team is determined. If it's the best players to play a one off test with everybody fit then yes sure. If it's based on performances over 2014 I'd say probably not.

Missing a 1/3 of his teams games in the year is no insignificant number. Especially as 2 came in a tough overseas series which Australia lost. It's not like this year has been an anomaly either - He's missed more games than he's played since debut. Fitness has to be taken into account. Imo he's got to be a distance better than those who've played every game for their country to gain selection.

Durability and staying injury free is a massively important quality.

I understand your point, but he *is* significantly better than anyone else when he plays. The worst thing you can say about a Harris spell is he went for bugger all runs when the ball wasn't doing much and still asked questions of the batsmen. Aside from Steyn, he'd be first bowler I would pick.

 

[GIMH]

So he'd be the second bowler you'd pick

 

[Burgey]

Are you pissed or did you suffer a closed head injury over Christmas, ****?
Thats exactly what I'm saying