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Test XI for The Last Quarter Century

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
Picking Dravid as a Test opener is a cop out similar to picking AB as a Test keeper just so you can pick one extra great player
 

OverratedSanity

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Picking Dravid as a Test opener is a cop out similar to picking AB as a Test keeper just so you can pick one extra great player
I dont think it's a copout because there are no openers in this era who I'd call ATGs. He had his best series ever basically playing as an opener the entire time.
 

flibbertyjibber

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Individual national teams for the period would be interesting too. Obviously Aussies would be the best but there would still be some very very good sides behind them even if some sides don't contain many players that wouldn't get in an all time one for their nation.
 

Coronis

Cricketer Of The Year
For the previous 25 years (1968-1993) I would go with:

Sunil Gavaskar
Barry Richards
Viv Richards*
Greg Chappell
Javed Miandad
Ian Botham (replaced by Garry Sobers if players can represent more than one generation)
Imran Khan
Alan Knott+
Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Derek Underwood

For the 25 years before that (1942-1967):

Len Hutton*
Arthur Morris
Ken Barrington (replaced by Don Bradman if players can represent more than one generation)
Graeme Pollock
Everton Weekes
Garry Sobers
Keith Miller
Don Tallon+
Ray Lindwall
Jim Laker
Fred Trueman

For the 25 years before that (1916-1941):

Jack Hobbs
Herbert Sutcliffe
Don Bradman*
George Headley
Wally Hammond
Jack Gregory
Les Ames+
Maurice Tate
Hedley Verity
Harold Larwood
Bill O'Reilly
Verity over Grimmett???
 

vcs

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Hayden should make it fairly comfortably TBH. I think his weakness against swing is a bit overstated on here.
 

trundler

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Dravid-Hayden would give you a left-right combination with contrasting styles too. Why Hayden over Smith though?
 

vcs

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I would go for:

Smith
Hayden
Ponting
Kallis
Tendulkar
Lara
Gilchrist
Akram
Steyn
Murali
McGrath
 

a massive zebra

International Captain
Verity over Grimmett???
1. Verity got Bradman out more times in Tests than anyone else in the 1930s, and averaged less than 60 against him, a really commendable record.
2. Grimmett's test bowing average is boosted by his dominance of the weaker teams. He had to work much harder for his wickets against England, averaging 32 against them. Verity was more successful against an Australian side including Bradman.
3. Verity once took 15 wickets in a single day against Australia. Grimmett never got close to this against England.
4. Verity's first class record is leagues ahead, averaging 14 against 22 by Grimmett.
5. We already have a leg spinner in the side and Verity adds the variety of a left arm option.
6. Grimmett's round arm action looks rather bizarre to the modern eye and Verity's beautiful easy action is much better to watch.
7. Verity was the better batsman.
 
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Engle

State Vice-Captain
01. M.Hayden
02. V.Sehwag
03. B.Lara
04. S.Tendulkar
05. J. Kallis
06. S.Waugh (c)
07. A.Gilchrist (wk)
08. Wasim Akram
09. S.Warne
10. C.Ambrose
11. M.Muralitharan

Has left-right openers/bats, showcases Lara/Tendulkar, Warne/Murali, bowling depth/variety, and bats down to 9. Led by ATG
 

trundler

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I'd rather have Ponting in my side than S Waugh and have Smith lead it than leave out the best bat of the noughties. Dravid-Smith could give the left-right thing.
 

Bolo

State Captain
Dravid-Hayden would give you a left-right combination with contrasting styles too. Why Hayden over Smith though?
Hayden- more challenging era conditions (pitches and bowlers), higher peak, higher overall average

Smith- more challenging home conditions, made much more valuable runs than Hayden.

I tend to give very little weight to peak performance, which makes me think it's very close between them
 

Engle

State Vice-Captain
S.Waugh is the rock of the rock-star team. The pillar of strength, the colossus who bestrode the cricket world of his time.
Smith was good, but nothing earth-shattering or innovative.
Ponting was pure lucky that he did not come across formidable opposition. At times, he pouted and pratted when things didn't go his way.
 

trundler

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Ponting wasn't a bad captain at all. It's just that Waugh had a better team. If we're talking about innovative captaincy then just pick Mark Taylor. Ponting wasn't bad with a star-studded team and this is one. Waugh was great and all but he wasn't exactly Jardine to warrant a place in the team because of captaincy.
 

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