You have possibly got the strongest batting order in this comp (down to 6 anyway) and certainly the strongest spin attack. However your fast bowling stocks are poor. Lawson and Caddick were fine bowlers, but are not going to run through the other batting lineups in this comp. I'd expect this team to do very well in the subcontinent (except maybe in India with Ponting and Warne both in the team).
I've said it before but I really love this team. Certainly could match it with any team in history, and usually would win. Imran really is the glue that holds the team together IMO.Everyone else is doing write-ups so I'm gonna join in. Can't let my team go without good advertising
Barry Richards
Almost unanimously considered the greatest opener SA have ever produced despite his limited test appearances, Richards will ensure that my team gets of to great starts..
Vinoo Mankad
Arguably India's greatest allrounder, don't let his statistics fool you. As an opener he averaged 40 and scored all 5 of his tons. Also gives the team a fantastic second spin option.
Rahul Dravid
The 'Wall' combines watertight defense, an unmatched ability to form partnerships and over 11000 test runs to make the perfect number 3. Undoubtedly one of the best batsmen of his generation.
Javed Miandad
Pakistan's greatest batsman and one of crickets ultimate street fighters. Along with Dravid, he's the backbone of my batting. He guarantees that I'll always have a competitive total.
Ernest Tyldesley
One of those batsmen who can consider themselves unlucky to have not played more tests. If a batting average of 55 from 14 test doesn't show his skill, then his 103 first class centuries do.
Colin Bland
His brilliant fielding often clouds the excellence of his batting. A hard hitting batsman with an average of just over 49, he rounds out a brilliant middle-order.
Imran Khan
The ultimate superstar of my side. One of the greatest ever fast bowlers, a dangerous lower order batsman and an outstanding captain. They don't come much better than this.
John Waite
My personal choice for the SA all time XI. A wonderful competitor with the bat, at number 8 he caps of an obscenely long batting line-up. With the gloves he is both safe and skilled.
Hugh Trumble
Australia's finest off-spinner and one of only 3 men to have taken 2 test hat-tricks. Crafty and capable on flat pitch, on a spinners track he becomes a genuine terror. With Mankad, he forms one of the best spin partnerships going around.
Wes Hall
The first of the great West Indies pace bowlers. A hostile and fast new ball bowler, he makes a perfect partner for Imran opening the bowling.
Ian Bishop
A fantastic bolwer before injuries curtailed his career, Bishop makes the perfect first change. With his fast outswingers batsmen can't rest easy
All in all I'm delighted with the way my team has turned out. I don't really see any weaknesses with it and it has plenty of strengths. A powerful and secure top 6, deep lower order batting and a well rounded bowling attack, capable of taking advantage of any surface.
Which is why I was so happy to get him.
yeah... thought you got it as a sheep as I saw metallics or someone nominate him for a sheep. Apologies everyone..
btw, Kurupu is my wicket keeper.
You gave Marcuss my team
hey I didnt mean it in a negative way.. Juz pointed out so that u cud edit it.
Here is marcuss's team writeup, I just received an email from him.
1 Qasim Umar – 1502 runs @ 36.33
Given to me as a sheep Umar was a more than successful FC and whilst he didn’t transfer all of that ability into the Test arena, his average and 2 Test double hundreds show he was more than competent at the highest level.
2. Andrew Strauss* – 5414 runs @ 44.01
Andrew Strauss, current England skipper, is a fantastic Test match opener. Whilst he was dropped in early 2008, since his return the side he’s displayed his ability as a top tier Test match opener. Since his recall he hasn’t looked back and has continued to churn out runs by the bucket load. His conversion rate is nothing to be sniffed at either.
3. Bob Cowper – 2061 runs @ 46.84; 36 wickets @ 31.63
Cowper’s record is one of excellence and if it wasn’t for his supreme intellect, which indirectly led to him retiring from Test cricket at the age of 28, who knows what sort of career he could’ve built for himself. His mammoth innings of 307 against England in 1966 was the only triple century on Australian soil until a certain Mr Hayden boshed a hapless Zimbabwe attack for 380.
4. Mushtaq Mohammad – 3643 runs @ 39.17; 79 wickets @ 29.22
More FC centuries and FC wickets than any of his brothers. (Possibly) The youngest Test century maker and a fine Test match allrounder. His legspin will be vital to my teams balance with an all pace take besides him and Cowper.
5. Michael Clarke – 3950 runs @ 48.76
Current Austalian vice captain and already earmarked for the job full time when Ponting retires, you don’t manage to climb that high in the Australian pecking order if you’re not made of the right stuff. A batsman of real class, a fielder of genuine ability and a bowler who can surprise a few Indians when the situation is right.
6. Alec Stewart+ – 8463 runs @ 39.54; 227(263) catches/14 stumpings as keeper(total)
When on song he appeared unstoppable. England’s most capped player, as a wicket keeper he always had ability with the bat and over time his glovework developed from merely acceptable to excellent.
7. Andrew Symonds – 1462 runs @ 40.61.
Symonds adds a bit of spice to this side, as he would any in the history of the game. On his day he can completely demolish an attack, slaughtering them to any part of the ground he feels like hitting them. His fielding isn’t too shoddy either. Though he’s not one of the best to ever play the game he’s not a bad guy to have coming in at 7. His medium pacers could be useful if I’m in need of a partnership breaker.
8. Sir Richard Hadlee – 3124 runs @ 27.16; 431 wickets @ 22.29
Hadlee is greatest Test cricketer to ever represent New Zealand to be blunt. The first man to take 400 Test wickets and one of the greatest bowlers of all time in his own right, he was all that and more as his 3000 Test runs, 2 Test centuries and 15 Test 50s testify.
9. Dennis Lillee – 355 wickets @ 23.92
355 wickets from just 70 matches underline Lillee’s greatness as a bowler. A fan favourite who gave his all for the team, Lillee was named in Australia’s Text XI for the 20th Century. He was a fantastic bowler.
10. Stuart Clark – 94 wickets @ 23.86
Clark was ridiculously successful at the beginning of his Test career and his record of 54 wickets @ 23.35 on home soil, playing on some of the flattest pitches of recent memory, is a huge achievement. Clark was a bowler whose peak was very, very high.
11. Courtney Walsh – 519 wickets @ 24.44
The longevity of this man’s career is outstanding but to sustain the level of excellence he did is nigh on incomprehensible, a staggering 519 wickets in 132 Test matches. More than 1800(!) FC wickets in nearly 430 matches is an incredible feat. Often overshadowed in the great West Indian attack Walsh was willing to run in up the hill for long spells whilst Ambrose or Marshall steamed down the hill. Whilst being an absolutely fantastic bowler Walsh was also a genuine number 11 with 43 Test match ducks.
Excellent side from Marcus there.. Real quality.
Here is marcuss's team writeup, I just received an email from him.
1 Qasim Umar – 1502 runs @ 36.33
Given to me as a sheep Umar was a more than successful FC and whilst he didn’t transfer all of that ability into the Test arena, his average and 2 Test double hundreds show he was more than competent at the highest level.
2. Andrew Strauss* – 5414 runs @ 44.01
Andrew Strauss, current England skipper, is a fantastic Test match opener. Whilst he was dropped in early 2008, since his return the side he’s displayed his ability as a top tier Test match opener. Since his recall he hasn’t looked back and has continued to churn out runs by the bucket load. His conversion rate is nothing to be sniffed at either.
3. Bob Cowper – 2061 runs @ 46.84; 36 wickets @ 31.63
Cowper’s record is one of excellence and if it wasn’t for his supreme intellect, which indirectly led to him retiring from Test cricket at the age of 28, who knows what sort of career he could’ve built for himself. His mammoth innings of 307 against England in 1966 was the only triple century on Australian soil until a certain Mr Hayden boshed a hapless Zimbabwe attack for 380.
4. Mushtaq Mohammad – 3643 runs @ 39.17; 79 wickets @ 29.22
More FC centuries and FC wickets than any of his brothers. (Possibly) The youngest Test century maker and a fine Test match allrounder. His legspin will be vital to my teams balance with an all pace take besides him and Cowper.
5. Michael Clarke – 3950 runs @ 48.76
Current Austalian vice captain and already earmarked for the job full time when Ponting retires, you don’t manage to climb that high in the Australian pecking order if you’re not made of the right stuff. A batsman of real class, a fielder of genuine ability and a bowler who can surprise a few Indians when the situation is right.
6. Alec Stewart+ – 8463 runs @ 39.54; 227(263) catches/14 stumpings as keeper(total)
When on song he appeared unstoppable. England’s most capped player, as a wicket keeper he always had ability with the bat and over time his glovework developed from merely acceptable to excellent.
7. Andrew Symonds – 1462 runs @ 40.61.
Symonds adds a bit of spice to this side, as he would any in the history of the game. On his day he can completely demolish an attack, slaughtering them to any part of the ground he feels like hitting them. His fielding isn’t too shoddy either. Though he’s not one of the best to ever play the game he’s not a bad guy to have coming in at 7. His medium pacers could be useful if I’m in need of a partnership breaker.
8. Sir Richard Hadlee – 3124 runs @ 27.16; 431 wickets @ 22.29
Hadlee is greatest Test cricketer to ever represent New Zealand to be blunt. The first man to take 400 Test wickets and one of the greatest bowlers of all time in his own right, he was all that and more as his 3000 Test runs, 2 Test centuries and 15 Test 50s testify.
9. Dennis Lillee – 355 wickets @ 23.92
355 wickets from just 70 matches underline Lillee’s greatness as a bowler. A fan favourite who gave his all for the team, Lillee was named in Australia’s Text XI for the 20th Century. He was a fantastic bowler.
10. Stuart Clark – 94 wickets @ 23.86
Clark was ridiculously successful at the beginning of his Test career and his record of 54 wickets @ 23.35 on home soil, playing on some of the flattest pitches of recent memory, is a huge achievement. Clark was a bowler whose peak was very, very high.
11. Courtney Walsh – 519 wickets @ 24.44
The longevity of this man’s career is outstanding but to sustain the level of excellence he did is nigh on incomprehensible, a staggering 519 wickets in 132 Test matches. More than 1800(!) FC wickets in nearly 430 matches is an incredible feat. Often overshadowed in the great West Indian attack Walsh was willing to run in up the hill for long spells whilst Ambrose or Marshall steamed down the hill. Whilst being an absolutely fantastic bowler Walsh was also a genuine number 11 with 43 Test match ducks.
Just butting in here, but that pace attack looks really great. Lillee, Hadlee and Walsh sounds really formidable.
I thought I was lucky to get in Kapil Dev, Bedser and Eddie Barlow.
If you didn't have two lambs in your side (calling them sheep is insulting sheep everywhere) then yours would have been hands down the best side out there. Those last 3 rounds were extremely massive for you.
Anyways, I feel my batting will hold up in most conditions and so will my bowling, esp. since I get the left arm medium pace/slow option with Worrell...
If I had not done what I did, you would all be dead. I saved your lives. Now look where we are. We are stronger than ever, changing the course of history as we see it. Choosing the targets we select. We can redistribute power where we see fit. The wolves rule, not the sheep. Now, if any of you feel the need to follow the code of the Fraternity to the letter, I invite you to take your gun, put it in your mouth, and pull the trigger. That is what G.I. Joe demands. Otherwise, shoot *this* mother****er and let us take our Fraternity of assassins to heights reserved only for the gods of men! You choose.
Stephen:
Thanks so much for taking the effort to give us such detailed feedback.. Really appreciate.
