Richie Benauds All Time Team

[Swervy]

For those of you who cant watch Channel 4 in the UK, Richie Benaud is compiling (or probably already has, just keeping us all on tenterhooks!!!!)an all time greatest XI team.

His critea is based on the team HE would like to play for him, based on talent, entertainment.

His team is contructed as follows:
2 openers, 3 middle order batsmen,2 allrounders a wicketkeeper and 3 bowlers (presumably 1 spinner and 2 quicks)

so far he has chosen as follows:

1 Jack Hobbs
2 Sunil Gavaskar
3 Don Bradman
4 Viv Richards
5 Sachin Tendulkar

His allrounders are to be chosen from Botham,Hadlee,Dev,Imran,Sobers and Miller

His keepers are from Healy,Gilchrist and Marsh

Dont know who the bowlers will be.


These types of things normally start a bit of discussion.

For me the allrounders have to be Botham and Sobers and keeper probably Healy

 

[Hit4Six]

for me all rounders to be imran and botham, keeper to be gilchrist

 

[a massive zebra]

Allrounders Sobers and Imran, wicketkeeper Gilchrist. Hammond should have been in, otherwise I agree so far.

 

[Swervy]

Allrounders Sobers and Imran, wicketkeeper Gilchrist. Hammond should have been in, otherwise I agree so far.

hammond, in place of who???

 

[a massive zebra]

hammond, in place of who???

Why not? As good a batsman as either of them, probably the best slip fielder ever (with Bob Simpson and Mark Waugh), and a better bowler than either of them. I see no reason for his non-selection other than bias towards more modern players with people not wanting to select players they have not seen. On ability alone he's a certainty for me.

P.S. He played at a similar time to Hobbs, who is in. He had a better average at both first-class and Test level and was a much better bowler and fielder than the Surrey man.

 

[Hit4Six]

who do people think the bowlers will be? ill put mcgrath, wasim, murali and warne in there

 

[Swervy]

Why not? As good a batsman as either of them, probably the best slip fielder ever (with Bob Simpson and Mark Waugh), and a better bowler than either of them. I see no reason for his non-selection other than bias towards more modern players with people not wanting to select players they have not seen. On ability alone he's a certainty for me.

P.S. He played at a similar time to Hobbs, who is in. He had a better average at both first-class and Test level and was a much better bowler and fielder than the Surrey man.

hey I am not questioning your choice, I was just wondering who you would have him instead of

 

[Swervy]

who do people think the bowlers will be? ill put mcgrath, wasim, murali and warne in there

well i reckon Benaud will have Lillee,Marshall,Warne in there (only 3 places left)

 

[Hit4Six]

o ye bout the 3 places, in that case: mcgrath, wasim, murali

 

[a massive zebra]

hey I am not questioning your choice, I was just wondering who you would have him instead of

Well this is my team

J Hobbs
S Gavaskar
D Bradman (cpt)
S Tendulkar
W Hammond
G Sobers
A Gilchrist (wk)
Imran Khan
M Marshall
M Muralitharan
S Barnes

 

[a massive zebra]

I think Lillee is overrated. There is no doubt he has a world-class bowler but a lot of people place him as the most complete and best fast bowler ever. In reality he was outstanding but not complete, he was less effective against left-handers and not as good as some at running through the tail due to the lack of a good yorker. As a matter of fact Lillee had his off days and McGrath is a far more reliable fast bowler. Please note im not questioning his status as a great bowler, just think he is overrated and not the very best. IMO Marshall is the best paceman ever, closely followed by Hadlee.

 

[a massive zebra]

well i reckon Benaud will have Lillee,Marshall,Warne in there (only 3 places left)

You might be right there.

 

[Swervy]

I think Lillee is overrated. There is no doubt he has a world-class bowler but a lot of people place him as the most complete and best fast bowler ever. In reality he was outstanding but not complete, he was less effective against left-handers and not as good as some at running through the tail due to the lack of a good yorker. As a matter of fact Lillee had his off days and McGrath is a far more reliable fast bowler. Please note im not questioning his status as a great bowler, just think he is overrated and not the very best. IMO Marshall is the best paceman ever, closely followed by Hadlee.

mmmm..well I dont know about all that...Lillee was outstanding, he had true control of ball movement in a way I have only ever seen Hadlee have (and Marshall possibly as well)...I think most batsmen throughout history would prefer to face McGrath than Lillee in his prime.

Was Lillee not that good against tailenders????

 

[a massive zebra]

mmmm..well I dont know about all that...Lillee was outstanding, he had true control of ball movement in a way I have only ever seen Hadlee have (and Marshall possibly as well)...I think most batsmen throughout history would prefer to face McGrath than Lillee in his prime.

Was Lillee not that good against tailenders????

Well of the batsmen Lillee dismissed most often the vast majority are top order players (yes that is good in a way). It was Lillee's very own keeper Marsh who admitted Lillee was not the best at running through the tail. Whether people would rather face Lillee or McGrath at their best is debatable, the fact is McGrath is far more reliable, has less off days, and takes his wickets more cheaply despite playing in a higher scoring era. Also, if you have a look at their PWC ratings over their careers, McGrath is ahead of Lillee far more often than the other way round.

Benaud will pick Lillee, no doubt, as would most people, and for that reason he is overrated. His stature as a world class bowler cannot be denied, his place as the very best certainly can.

 

[superkingdave]

P.S. He played at a similar time to Hobbs, who is in. He had a better average at both first-class and Test level and was a much better bowler and fielder than the Surrey man.

Yeah as he opened precisley 5 times in 140 innings i dont think he can be considered an opener

I would have Pollock at 4, a left hander to mix things up

 

[marc71178]

His keepers are from Healy,Gilchrist and Marsh

Hmm, no nationalistic bias there then!

 

[a massive zebra]

Hmm, no nationalistic bias there then!

Just what I was thinking. Lillee and Warne will be dead on certainties.

 

[roseboy64]

Well it is his team!!He can be as biased as he wants just so long it's not too ridiculous.

 

[Swervy]

Hmm, no nationalistic bias there then!

he made no apologies for it

 

[Richard]

hammond, in place of who???

IMO to compare Hammond to Richards and Tendulkar is an insult to Hammond.
I cannot conceive any reasons why Richards and Tendulkar, who average lower than him anyway, could be considered better given relative pitch conditions. He was also surely a better looking player.
Still, I can see why Richie would "like" Richards and Tendulkar more. I don't think he ever watched Hammond, if so only an occasional match.