best team in world cricket right now

[TheJediBrah]

Harsh you do realise you can actually ban TJB now right? You don't need to do this

and wtf have I done that you would ban me for, other than be the target of trolls?

seriously?

 

[srbhkshk]

Why do Eng need a tearaway fast bowler.......why does any team need a tearaway fast bowler? Broad and Anderson seem to go all right without being express. What England need to be a No 1 side is one or two spinners worthy of the name.

The difference between Australia's performance in India to England's was essentially Lyon and SOK. That's why they were competitive and we weren't.

I feel tearaway pacers are the only bowlers with a bit of chance on fully dead wickets,also I don't think Lyon/SOK are necessarily better than Rashid (or even Moeen), they just got pitches which really helped the spinners in first two tests and didn't really do much after the Second test once the pitches went back to normal, Australian pacers also maintained the pressure on Indian batting more successfully in terms of run scoring compared to England, it was just a good team effort from Australia in bowling, England always managed to find someone who released the pressure when India were feeling it.

 

[Adders]

I just think sometimes raw pace gets overstated a bit for a fast bowler.......to me the skill sets are far more important. Of course if you combine 150+klm with accuracy and skill then you have a deadly weapon, but you just have to look at Jimmy Anderson in India in 2012 to see that it doesn't have to be all about speed on dead tracks.

Not sure how many more miles they have in them but for the time being anyway I'm not concerned about England's pace bowlers while we have Broad and Anderson leading the attack. But our spin stocks are dire and you can't compete against good sides on the SC with the likes of Moeen and Rashid as your front line spinners.........they're just not good enough. SOK and Lyon may have got better tracks for the tweakers but they are better than our lot by a margin.

 

[cnerd123]

and wtf have I done that you would ban me for, other than be the target of trolls?

seriously?

I thought you could take a joke. Don't get so wound up about it mate.

I feel tearaway pacers are the only bowlers with a bit of chance on fully dead wickets,also I don't think Lyon/SOK are necessarily better than Rashid (or even Moeen), they just got pitches which really helped the spinners in first two tests and didn't really do much after the Second test once the pitches went back to normal, Australian pacers also maintained the pressure on Indian batting more successfully in terms of run scoring compared to England, it was just a good team effort from Australia in bowling, England always managed to find someone who released the pressure when India were feeling it.

Lyon and SOK were miles ahead. Sure they both may not have put a lot more revs behind the ball than those two, or did come with a large bag of tricks or anything, but as you noted the key is to not release the pressure. Moeen and Rashid released the pressure constantly, Lyon and SOK did not.

 

[Chrish]

Only two teams have performed consistently in India and Australia: former Windies and South Africa

So, yes I would say quality pace bowling is sort of prerequisite if you want to be competitive over there on a regular basis.

 

[CricAddict]

Hey I could but then CC's been almost dead since the series ended. We need the traffic.

Not sure if you meant it as a joke but if it is serious, TJB has done nothing in this thread for a ban. He just had a different view point to several others. And Zinzan and I agree to his viewpoint.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Not sure if you meant it as a joke but if it is serious, TJB has done nothing in this thread for a ban. He just had a different view point to several others. And Zinzan and I agree to his viewpoint.

dw about it I'm sure it's a joke, I'm just being overly sensitive

 

[OverratedSanity]

He's obviously joking. TJB did nothing wrong, he's just annoying, like most people on internet forums.

But harsh may end up banning him "by mistake" like he did Gnske.

 

[FBU]

Time at the top

Australia Jun 03- July 09 - 74 months
South Africa Aug 09-Nov 09 - 3 months
India Nov 09-Aug 11 - 21 months
England Aug 11-Aug 12 - 12 months
South Africa Aug 12-May 14 - 21 months
Australia May 14-Jul 14 - 3 months
South Africa Jul 14-Jan 16 - 18 months
India Jan 16-Feb 16 - 1 month
Australia Feb 16-Aug 16 - 6 months
India Aug 16 - Aug 16 - 4 days
Pakistan Aug 16 - Oct 16 - 2 months
India Oct 16 - present

 

[stephen]

Well this stint at the top is better than India's last.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Well this stint at the top is better than India's last.

Why so? India actually had overseas success leading up to and during that run.

 

[wpdavid]

Why so? India actually had overseas success leading up to and during that run.

Stretching it a bit to call their four day reign in August last year a run, imo.

 

[Victor Ian]

Shouldn't Windies be at the top of that list for time at number 1?

 

[FBU]

Shouldn't Windies be at the top of that list for time at number 1?

The ICC officially began ranking teams in 2003
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_Test_Championship

 

[Victor Ian]

The ICC officially began ranking teams in 2003
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_Test_Championship

fairy nuff.

the data i was thinking of is in the table below the one you listed.

West Indies - Mar 81 to Jul 88 - 89 months
Pakistan - Aug 88 to Sep 88 - 2 months
West Indies - Oct 88 to Jan 91 - 28 months
Australia - Feb91 to Apr 91 - 3 months
West Indies - May 91 to Jul 92 - 15 months
Australia - Aug 92 to Jan 93 - 6 months
West Indies - Feb 93 to Aug 95 - 31 months
India - Sep 95 to Nov 95 - 3 months
Australia - Dec 95 to Jul 99 - 44 months

I'm surprised that the Windies did not hold it straight from 81 to 95. What went down for the bold interlopers to have taken #1 during those 'reigns'

Australia were on top for the 21 months leading to 2003, so held top spot a continuous 95 months. 1 month shy of 8 years!

It might be an interesting task to find the greatest player who's career started and finished in one of those reigns. I initially though Gilly would be up there, but he started too early for the 2001-2009 period.

 

[Slifer]

I think the WI had a streak of 4 or so straight test series that they drew in the late 80s. Assuming pakistan won their test series around said time then it makes sense.

 

[stephen]

fairy nuff.

the data i was thinking of is in the table below the one you listed.

West Indies - Mar 81 to Jul 88 - 89 months
Pakistan - Aug 88 to Sep 88 - 2 months
West Indies - Oct 88 to Jan 91 - 28 months
Australia - Feb91 to Apr 91 - 3 months
West Indies - May 91 to Jul 92 - 15 months
Australia - Aug 92 to Jan 93 - 6 months
West Indies - Feb 93 to Aug 95 - 31 months
India - Sep 95 to Nov 95 - 3 months
Australia - Dec 95 to Jul 99 - 44 months

I'm surprised that the Windies did not hold it straight from 81 to 95. What went down for the bold interlopers to have taken #1 during those 'reigns'

Australia were on top for the 21 months leading to 2003, so held top spot a continuous 95 months. 1 month shy of 8 years!

It might be an interesting task to find the greatest player who's career started and finished in one of those reigns. I initially though Gilly would be up there, but he started too early for the 2001-2009 period.

I think dizzy started to early but Kasper or Bichel probably had their entire test careers in that time. Ditto Stuart Law and Martin Love. Maybe even Lehman too.

 

[TheJediBrah]

fairy nuff.

the data i was thinking of is in the table below the one you listed.

West Indies - Mar 81 to Jul 88 - 89 months
Pakistan - Aug 88 to Sep 88 - 2 months
West Indies - Oct 88 to Jan 91 - 28 months
Australia - Feb91 to Apr 91 - 3 months
West Indies - May 91 to Jul 92 - 15 months
Australia - Aug 92 to Jan 93 - 6 months
West Indies - Feb 93 to Aug 95 - 31 months
India - Sep 95 to Nov 95 - 3 months
Australia - Dec 95 to Jul 99 - 44 months

I'm surprised that the Windies did not hold it straight from 81 to 95. What went down for the bold interlopers to have taken #1 during those 'reigns'

Australia were on top for the 21 months leading to 2003, so held top spot a continuous 95 months. 1 month shy of 8 years!

It might be an interesting task to find the greatest player who's career started and finished in one of those reigns. I initially though Gilly would be up there, but he started too early for the 2001-2009 period.

Gilly debuted in 1999, when Aus would surely have been no. 1 so I'm he'd certainly qualify

 

[Victor Ian]

Gilly debuted in 1999, when Aus would surely have been no. 1 so I'm he'd certainly qualify

But south Africa briefly took the number 1 after 99.

South Africa - Aug 01 to Aug 01 - 1 month

They are just spoilsports. That one month cost Australia an untouchable streak of over 110 months

 

[OverratedSanity]

SA might have got to number 1 briefly in 99 since Australia lost in SL, but how'd they get there in 01?