ICC Awards tonight!

[Neil Pickup]

And Kallis at 7?......

I knew it, they are indeed mad...

The whole top 8 is superb. I really wouldn't fancy bowling to that lot.

10-0-353-0 here we come....

 

[a massive zebra]

Well Dravid was named ICC player of the year in the end. I don't agree with that tbh, but never mind. The ICC test team was:

1. Matthew Hayden
2. Herschelle Gibbs
3. Ricky Ponting (captain)
4. Rahul Dravid
5. Brian Lara
6. Jacques Kallis
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Chaminda Vaas
9. Shane Warne
10. Jason Gillespie
11. Stephen Harmison

The batting is fine but what have Vaas, Warne and Gillespie done to get in above Flintoff, Murali and Pollock?

Last 12 months....

Flintoff 1041 runs @ 49.57 & 46 wickets @ 26.24
Murali 174 runs @ 17.40 & 71 wickets @ 18.83
Pollock 353 runs @ 25.21 & 50 wickets @ 26.80

Vaas 406 runs @ 31.23 & 45 wickets @ 25.49
Warne 88 runs @ 8.80 & 36 wickets @ 22.25
Gillespie 167 runs @ 15.18 & 32 wickets @ 35.03

Possibly Vaas deserves his place but Flintoff and Murali should certainly take the place of Warne and Gillespie. Warne always gets picked for teams like this irrespective of whether he deserves it or not...........so overrated . Gillespie was probably selected because he plays for the best team - he has not had a good year. What more could you ask of Flintoff?

 

[marc71178]

no sehwag in test xi after his 300??

It's about more than 1 game.

 

[marc71178]

And sehwag at 6!?

He's lucky to make it at all IMO seeing as there's been at least 2 farbetter openers.

 

[tooextracool]

Dravid Player of Year

good to see that they've got all the awards right.

 

[tooextracool]

ODI Team of the Year

1. Adam Gilchrist
2. Sachin Tendulkar
3. Chris Gayle
4. Ricky Ponting (captain)
5. Brian Lara
6. Virender Sehwag
7. Jacques Kallis
8. Andrew Flintoff
9. Shaun Pollock
10. Chaminda Vaas
11. Jason Gillespie

Flintoff at 8? are they mad?

yes it is quite an inane piece of selection, what sehwag is doing in the side is quite beyond me but putting him at no 6 is just plain stupid. as is the selection of kallis at no 7. it seems like they just couldnt come up with any successful middle order players and therefore had to cramp all of them in the top 8.
interesting to note that lara makes it in there despite averaging 33.....ahh selectors in the world today

 

[tooextracool]

The whole top 8 is superb. I really wouldn't fancy bowling to that lot.

10-0-353-0 here we come....

no its not.....it has a bunch of out of position players, some of which havent done enough to merit a place in that side.

 

[tooextracool]

He's lucky to make it at all IMO seeing as there's been at least 2 farbetter openers.

actually hes lucky to be in that side with an average of 31 within that period......

 

[Nedved's Fan]

The batting is fine but what have Vaas, Warne and Gillespie done to get in above Flintoff, Murali and Pollock?

Last 12 months....

Flintoff 1041 runs @ 49.57 & 46 wickets @ 26.24
Murali 174 runs @ 17.40 & 71 wickets @ 18.83
Pollock 353 runs @ 25.21 & 50 wickets @ 26.80

Vaas 406 runs @ 31.23 & 45 wickets @ 25.49
Warne 88 runs @ 8.80 & 36 wickets @ 22.25
Gillespie 167 runs @ 15.18 & 32 wickets @ 35.03

Possibly Vaas deserves his place but Flintoff and Murali should certainly take the place of Warne and Gillespie. Warne always gets picked for teams like this irrespective of whether he deserves it or not...........so overrated . Gillespie was probably selected because he plays for the best team - he has not had a good year. What more could you ask of Flintoff?

Shane Warne = legend What you got against him?

Vaas destroyed South Africa, and ran though Australia in one match. Pollock is in decline.

 

[tooextracool]

Shane Warne = legend What you got against him?

because taking wickets against zimbabwe,bowling with an illegal delivery and taking wickets on spinner friendly wickets is what matters!

 

[Mister Wright]

It's about more than 1 game.

He did also make 197 against Australia and several 50s.

 

[Mister Wright]

I think the ICC have shown how they will select their teams to face (whichever team is on top) in the super challenge next year. Instead of picking players how have performed well against the side, they will pick the best 'statistical XI'. Which I guess, is fair enough.

 

[a massive zebra]

because taking wickets against zimbabwe,bowling with an illegal delivery and taking wickets on spinner friendly wickets is what matters!

Oh you forgot, Murali took 27 wickets in 3 matches against Australia! Regarding Zimbabwe, you can only perform against who you are put up against. He took twice as many wickets as Warne this year, and has clearly been the better bowler of the two for at least 5 years.

 

[a massive zebra]

I think the ICC have shown how they will select their teams to face (whichever team is on top) in the super challenge next year. Instead of picking players how have performed well against the side, they will pick the best 'statistical XI'. Which I guess, is fair enough.

But Gillespie would have no chance whatsover of making the current 'Statistical Test XI', yet Flintoff and Murali would be shoe-ins.

 

[Mister Wright]

But Gillespie would have no chance whatsover of making the current 'Statistical Test XI', yet Flintoff and Murali would be shoe-ins.

Notice i said "Whicever team makes the final"

Obviously, unless there is a dramatic fall in Australia's performances Gillespie will be playing for Australia. I though some common-sense might be used, to assume that any player playing for the top team would have to be replaced by somebody else...perhaps I was wrong...

 

[Prince EWS]

ODI Team of the Year

1. Adam Gilchrist
2. Sachin Tendulkar
3. Chris Gayle
4. Ricky Ponting (captain)
5. Brian Lara
6. Virender Sehwag
7. Jacques Kallis
8. Andrew Flintoff
9. Shaun Pollock
10. Chaminda Vaas
11. Jason Gillespie

Jeez..... thats a lot of batting! Really they bat quite comfortably down to 9. Youde think with Pollock and Vaas, they could have picked more bowlers, but anyway...

Theyve picked 4 openers, 1 #3, 2 #4s and a number 5 in the top 8. I think it would have been best to pick players that are used to playing in those 6-8 situations.

I would have gone with:

1. Adam Gilchrist
2. Sachin Tendulkar
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Jacques Kallis
5. Brian Lara
6. Andrew Flintoff
7. Heath Streak
8. Shaun Pollock
9. Chaminda Vaas
10. Jason Gillespie
11. Muttaiah Muralitharan

But it really doesnt matter, because they wont be playing ayway.

 

[Zeke]

Warne > Murali

 

[Prince EWS]

Thats an original arguement!

Ide love to go down this path again.....

 

[Tim]

Coming from a bias POV, surely Fleming would make that ODI side if you also add in his Captaincy?

 

[Mister Wright]

Coming from a bias POV, surely Fleming would make that ODI side if you also add in his Captaincy?

Perhaps, he could replace Ponting. Although, I think the selectors have shown their hands by selecting on statistics, which is fair enough for the teams of the year, however, it will be interesting to see if they take the approach when they name the 'super' teams. As long as Fleming keeps up his good ODI form I'm pretty confident being the best captain will give him the nod ahead of others.