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All-Time XI

cric_manic

First Class Debutant
B.Richards
J.Hobbs
D.Bradman
B.Lara
V.Richards
G.Sobers
W.Akram
A.Knott+
R.Hadlee
S.Warne
M.Marshall


Thoughts? i think this is the best line up of cricket player's ever

post yours......
 

a massive zebra

International Captain
How about...

Jack Hobbs
Sunil Gavaskar
Don Bradman
Graeme Pollock
Walter Hammond
Garry Sobers
Adam Gilchrist
Imran Khan
Malcolm Marshall
Muttiah Muralitharan
Sydney Barnes

12th Man: Richard Hadlee
 

a massive zebra

International Captain
Barry Richards makes a good case but never had the opportunity to really prove himself at the highest level. Brian Lara and Viv Richards are both once in a generation genius' but lacked consistency - a criticism that could not be levied at Graeme Pollock. Hammond was one of the finest batsmen and slip fielders England produced, who could also bowl. I prefer a world class batsman to a great keeper but each to his own. Wasim Akram not quite on that very highest level IMO and Shane Warne overrated.
 

LongHopCassidy

International Captain
1. Sunil Gavaskar
2. Victor Trumper
3. Don Bradman
4. Viv Richards
5. Garry Sobers
6. Adam Gilchrist (keeper)
7. Imran Khan
8. Richard Hadlee
9. Shane Warne
10. Dennis Lillee
11. Muttiah Muralitharan

Three pacemen, two spinners (leggie and offie), impregnable top six. Argue with that.
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
1. Hobbs
2. Gavaskar
3. Bradman
4. George Headley
5. Walter Hammond
6. Sobers
7. Hadlee
8. Lindwall
9. Bob Taylor
10. Muralitharan
11. Syd Barnes

The only tough choice was the two fast bowlers. I think there is an embarassment of riches over history. I took Hadlee and Lindwall for their consistent performance against all comers. But I agree the side lacks REAL fire power in the form of super express speed. But I dont think over time that is the bowling that has consistently won tests. A series here a test or two ther and thats it.

It also lacks a genuine leg spinner but my choice would have been Orielly but then with Barnes in (I never make an all time XI without Hobbs, Bradman, Sobers and Barnes) I thought we could do things differently.

I brought in Gavaskar instead of my normal favourite, Hutton but its a toss up really.

With the best batsmen of all time playing, I dont see any reason why the keeper should not be chosen first and formost for his keeping skills. Thus the choice was not of Gilchrist or other such batting keepers but the best glovemen and Taylor challenges the best though there were others one has not seen who appear to have been equally skilled.

Another day and another time and I may choose differently :)
 

froggyboy86

Cricket Spectator
1. JB Hobbs
2. SM Gavaskar
3. DG Bradman*
4. IVA Richards
5. GA Headley
6. GS Sobers
7. AC Gilchrist+
8. SK Warne
9. MD Marshall
10. SF Barnes
11. GD McGrath

12th Man: Imran Khan

Openers I believe select themselves, have excellent records against a variety of attacks in varying conditions. Gavaskar particularly distinguished himself at the top of the order and provided an inconsistant Indian batting line up with consistent performances at the top of the order.

Bradman is always a certainty in any all time XI and best suited to batting at number three. Number four was difficult since there are many great batsman in history who can bat at four however I chose Richards for his brilliant ability to counter-attack and accelerate the pace of the game. Whilst not as consistent as others in the line up, its strength gives me the opportunity to place an attacking batsman up the order.

Headley at five gives the middle order further strength. Headley was probably underrated by many and believe he deserves a spot in a World XI and narrowly beat Graeme Pollock for this spot. Garfield Sobers is the best all-rounder the game has seen, solid batting and great variety in his bowling from spin to pace.

With a strong batting line up, I could have probably chosen a more traditional wicket keeper like Taylor, Healy etc however I find Gilchrist's batting irresistable and I believe his 'keeping is of a high enough standard to warrant a place in the side.

With regards to the bowlers, I wanted to have one spinner and three pacemen. I chose Warne as my spinner over Muralitharin for a variety of reasons. Whilst both have great records as bowlers, Warne offers more through being a superb slips fielder, handy lower order bat and an intelligent cricketer when it comes to setting fields and the like.

Malcom Marshall I believe is the most complete fast bowler, good economy rate and average and perfect to open the attack. The next too are tricky with so many great fast bowlers to choose from. However I chose McGrath for his unerring consistency over many years on flat subcontinental tracks to seaming wickets and has a knack of consistently removing the oppositions best batsmen. Whilst McGrath and Marshall are excellent bowlers, Barnes probably exceeded them all when it came to making a ball move with mastery over the seam.

The 12th Man, Imran Khan was straightforward for me, I chose a cricketer that I believed offered a great deal in all aspects of cricket from bowling, batting, fielding and as a captain.

Sorry for the length of the post, but thought I should explain the reasoning behind my selections :happy:
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Jack Hobbs
Sunil Gavaskar
Donald Bradman
Walter Hammond
Greg Chappell
Gary Sobers
Adam Gilchrist +
Richard Hadlee
Shane Warne
Sydney Barnes
Glenn McGrath
12th man: Imran Khan.

Openers are pretty self-explainitory - Hobbs is an absolute all-time legend and Gavaskar held together a fragile batting lineup and performed consistently for many years in a time of many great bowlers. Bradman is the greatest ever cricketer, and selects himself. Hammond just beat Headley out for this spot for me (Tendulkar and Lara might be unlucky as well) because he performed so well for a longer period of time. Chappell is probably the toughest choice, but he also played in an era of many great bowlers with Gavaskar and performed admirably in all conditions and against all opposition. Underrated as a batsman, I feel. Sobers is the greatest ever all-rounder, Gilchrist the greatest ever keeper-batsman. Hadlee only just beat Imran Khan out for this spot (Holding is another one who could have got in as a quick bowler), but I rated his slightly superior bowling (in my view) over Imran's batting, and I have a personal affection for stunning accuracy over pace and aggression. Shane Warne is pretty much an automatic selection for me, although there are many other great spinners who missed out. Barnes' record is self-explainitory, and Glenn McGrath has to make it as the greatest bowler I have ever had the pleasure to watch.

Other honorable mentions are Keith Miller, Wasim Akram, Steve Waugh and Viv Richards.
 
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Zinzan

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There were so many great names and close calls that I decided on a 1st and 2nd XI

1st XI
Hobbs
Hutton
Bradman
G Pollock
G Sobers
Gilchrist (wk)
Imran Khan
Hadlee
Warne
Lillee
Mcgrath

2nd XI
H.Sutcliffe
Gavaskar
Dravid/Barrington
Tendulkar
Lara
S.Waugh/Weekes
Healy (wk)
Akram
Marshall
Ambrose
Murali


Wouldn't be a bad match-up, but definately comfortable win for 1st XI
 

Zinzan

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twctopcat said:
You sure of that?? 2nd XI ain't much worse in my book, if at all.
Sure...I did struggle trying to separate the bowlers....Both bowling attacks pretty useful aye. Hadlee just edged out Marshall for me and I originally had Murali in the 1st and Lillee in the 2nd, but swapped them when I realised the balance wasn't right.
Bowlers could have gone either way
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
zinzan12 said:
There were so many great names and close calls that I decided on a 1st and 2nd XI

1st XI
Hobbs
Hutton
Bradman
G Pollock
G Sobers
Gilchrist (wk)
Imran Khan
Hadlee
Warne
Lillee
Mcgrath

2nd XI
H.Sutcliffe
Gavaskar
Dravid/Barrington
Tendulkar
Lara
S.Waugh/Weekes
Healy (wk)
Akram
Marshall
Ambrose
Murali


Wouldn't be a bad match-up, but definately comfortable win for 1st XI
I would put Larwood and Constantine in the second team and have Jardine as captain and the rules must not limit leg side field. Then maybe you have a chance :p
 

Zinzan

Request Your Custom Title Now!
SJS said:
I would put Larwood and Constantine in the second team and have Jardine as captain and the rules must not limit leg side field. Then maybe you have a chance :p
Like the Jardine idea :cool: but I'd think he'd be quite happy using that ploy with Marshall and Ambrose at their best especially in the days b4 helmets
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
zinzan12 said:
Like the Jardine idea :cool: but I'd think he'd be quite happy using that ploy with Marshall and Ambrose at their best especially in the days b4 helmets
Without the deadly pin point accuracy of a Larwood it would work on every one except Bradman :)
 

Greg Blewett

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
1. Hutton
2. Hobbs
3. Bradman
4. V.Richards
5. G.Pollock
6. Sobers
7. Gilchrist
8. Akram
9. Warne
10. Trueman
11. Marshall


I don't understand why i'm the only one to include Trueman. He was a lot better than some of the other bowlers people have put down.
 
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a massive zebra

International Captain
Greg Blewett said:
I don't understand why i'm the only one to include Trueman. He was a lot better than some of the other bowlers people have put down.
Maybe because he is one of the older brigade of great fast bowlers along with Lindwall, Bedser, Larwood, Davidson etc who also will not get many votes. Most-recent-is-remembered-best syndrome affects all those who do not really know their history - which is most people. And maybe some people took into account the fact that many of the great fast bowlers (Hadlee, Imran, Wasim, Marshall, Lindwall etc) could also bat .
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
a massive zebra said:
Maybe because he is one of the older brigade of great fast bowlers along with Lindwall, Bedser, Larwood, Davidson etc who also will not get many votes. Most-recent-is-remembered-best syndrome affects all those who do not really know their history - which is most people. And maybe some people took into account the fact that many of the great fast bowlers (Hadlee, Imran, Wasim, Marshall, Lindwall etc) could also bat .
Trueman was a great bowler, but I think most people, even those who do know their history, would rate at least three quicks higher than him through the history of test cricket, which is all that is required for him to miss out on an all-time XI.
 

Greg Blewett

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
FaaipDeOiad said:
Trueman was a great bowler, but I think most people, even those who do know their history, would rate at least three quicks higher than him through the history of test cricket, which is all that is required for him to miss out on an all-time XI.

I can understand people giving the nod to Marshall or Hadlee/Akram as they were also quite good batsman, but anyone else even the great Dennis Lillee I don't think would match up to him.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
It is such a hard thing to do that Zinzan's idea of 2 sides is quite a good one IMO.

Still too hard though!
 

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