Best all-time "Actual" XI

[aussie tragic]

A lot of threads talk about best all-time XI’s, however I’d like to know what was the best all-time “actual” team (this is not as easy as you’d think).

As a benchmark, I’ve come up with the WI in the 1st test vs Aus 1984-85, mainly because I think Aussie being demolished for 76 after WI scored 416 was one of the biggest whippings ever

Greenidge
Haynes
Richardson
Gomes
Richards
*Lloyd
+Dujon
Marshall
Holding
Garner
Walsh

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1980S/1984-85/WI_IN_AUS/WI_AUS_T1_09-12NOV1984.html

btw, I picked this team by going to cricingfo statguru, typed marshall and then clicked on his tests until I found 10 other players that were worthy of his company (Only found 9 though as not happy about Gomes)

 

[silentstriker]

Well, one of the windies teams, the invincibles or even some of the recent aussie teams (circa 2000?) would fit into it.

 

[aussie tragic]

I also name the following Aussie XI which played the 1st test against England in 2001.

Slater
Hayden
Ponting
M. Waugh
*S. Waugh
Martyn
+Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Gillespie
McGrath

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2001/AUS_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/AUS_ENG_T1_05-09JUL2001.html

or Aussie XI vs Eng in 5th test 1948

Barnes
Morris
*Bradman
Hassett
Miller
Harvey
Loxton
Lindwall
+Tallon
Ring
Johnston

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1940S/1948/AUS_IN_ENG/AUS_ENG_T5_14-18AUG1948.html

 

[silentstriker]

I also name the following Aussie XI which played the 1st test against England in 2001.

Slater
Hayden
Ponting
M. Waugh
*S. Waugh
Martyn
+Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Gillespie
McGrath

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2001/AUS_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/AUS_ENG_T1_05-09JUL2001.html

Didn't this team lose 2-1 in India? I think Langer was in the Indian team, but other than that...

Can't be the best ever if you lose a series IMO.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Lee wasn't in that team, and some other pacers were brought in.

 

[aussie tragic]

Didn't this team lose 2-1 in India? I think Langer was in the Indian team, but other than that...

Can't be the best ever if you lose a series IMO.

The Indian series was before the English series I mentioned and Langer was replaced by Martyn, while Lee came in for Fleming/Kasprowicz/Miller, so I stand by the Aussie 2001 team being better than the one beaten 2-1 by India (btw, since the India loss, Aus didn't lose another series until the Ashes last year).

 

[PhoenixFire]

I'm trying to remember the England team that had Laker, Lock, May, Compton, Wardle, Trueman and so on in it, that would have to be up there.

 

[aussie tragic]

Some memory as I had to search for quite awhile to find Eng vs WI 1954, but while it looks good on paper, it should be noted that they only drew the series 2-2

*Hutton
Bailey
May
Compton
Watson
Graveney
+Evans
Wardle
Lock
Laker
Trueman

 

[PhoenixFire]

Yeah thanks. That's pretty much what I was thinking of, on paper it is as good as that Aus one, if not better.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Although they weren't together very long and might not quite match some of the other great sides mentioned, the Australian sides that beat England and the West Indies on successive tours in the mid-70's are worthy of mention especially as Lillee, Thomson and the Chappel brother's were near their peak at that time.

IR Redpath
RB McCosker
IM Chappell
GS Chappell
R Edwards
KD Walters
RW Marsh
MHN Walker
DK Lillee
AA Mallett
JR Thomson

 

[aussie tragic]

IR Redpath
RB McCosker
IM Chappell
GS Chappell
R Edwards
KD Walters
RW Marsh
MHN Walker
DK Lillee
AA Mallett
JR Thomson

I'm willing to think that this is pretty close to my favouite Assie XI (except put Hookes for Edwards) and I wonder what dominance Australia would have had if they didn't immediately split to Packer's WSC

 

[C_C]

Greenidge
Haynes
Richards
Kallicharan
Lloyd
Gomes
Murray/Dujon
Roberts
Holding
Garner
Croft

I'd back this team against anyone and that too, significantly.

PS: Thanks for pointing out the typo, grecian.

 

[grecian]

A lot of threads talk about best all-time XI’s, however I’d like to know what was the best all-time “actual” team (this is not as easy as you’d think).

As a benchmark, I’ve come up with the WI in the 1st test vs Aus 1984-85, mainly because I think Aussie being demolished for 76 after WI scored 416 was one of the biggest whippings ever

Greenidge
Haynes
Richardson
Gomes
Richards
*Lloyd
+Dujon
Marshall
Holding
Garner
Walsh

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1980S/1984-85/WI_IN_AUS/WI_AUS_T1_09-12NOV1984.html

btw, I picked this team by going to cricingfo statguru, typed marshall and then clicked on his tests until I found 10 other players that were worthy of his company (Only found 9 though as not happy about Gomes)

Well I wouldn't underestimate Gomes he was often a useful foil to the stroke players around him, but yes, maybe not a great. Kallicharan would be better.

Oh, and CC, maybe too many Lloyds?

 

[aussie tragic]

Greenidge
Haynes
Richards
Kallicharan
Lloyd
Gomes
Murray/Dujon
Roberts
Holding
Garner
Croft

I'd back this team against anyone and that too, significantly.

but when did they actually play together in a test?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Greenidge
Haynes
Richards
Kallicharan
Lloyd
Gomes
Murray/Dujon
Roberts
Holding
Garner
Croft

I'd back this team against anyone and that too, significantly.

PS: Thanks for pointing out the typo, grecian.

I don't believe this team ever played together. It's a theoretical XI, basically. The one aussie tragic posted is as close as you'll get.

Incidentally, the best Australian XI I've seen was the one that demolished South Africa 5-1 home and away in 2001/02.

Langer
Hayden
Ponting
M Waugh
S Waugh
Martyn
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Gillespie
McGrath

The alternative to this would be one without Mark Waugh and with Lehmann in his place, but I'm not sure Lehmann ever played with that exact set of 10 other players, due to Warne's ban and then Waugh's retirement coming in the same year. So Mark Waugh it is.

 

[Beleg]

The Australian team that played against Pakistan in the third test of the 1999-2000 test series.

Incidently, the team Pakistan fielded in that series was, potentially, their greatest ever as well.

 

[Jono]

http://www1.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1999-2000/PAK_IN_AUS/SCORECARDS/PAK_AUS_T3_26-30NOV1999.html

Nah batting wasn't good enough in that Pak team to be one of the greatest ever. Great bowling line-up though.

This is the Aus team you've mentioned. Very good, but probably biggest hole is Blewett instead of Hayden.

MJ Slater
GS Blewett
JL Langer
ME Waugh
*SR Waugh
RT Ponting
+AC Gilchrist
SK Warne
MS Kasprowicz
DW Fleming
GD McGrath

 

[Matt79]

Langer
Hayden
Ponting
M Waugh
S Waugh
Martyn
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Gillespie
McGrath

The alternative to this would be one without Mark Waugh and with Lehmann in his place, but I'm not sure Lehmann ever played with that exact set of 10 other players, due to Warne's ban and then Waugh's retirement coming in the same year. So Mark Waugh it is.

Mark Waugh was better than Lehmann IMO. That team would be the best I've seen, apart from of the WI tour downunder in 1988.
Greenidge
Haynes
Richardson
Richards
Logie
Hooper
Dujon
Marshall
Ambrose
Walsh
Patterson

Not sure who'd win out of the two - I'd back the Aussies on the basis Richards and Marshall were starting to decline by then, and the Aussies have Warne, but it would be very close and great viewing.

Impossible to go past Bradman's 1948 Invincibles, as listed earlier, for an all time team...

 

[aussie tragic]

Impossible to go past Bradman's 1948 Invincibles, as listed earlier, for an all time team...

Well, Loxton and Ring are your weak links in that team

Barnes
Morris
*Bradman
Hassett
Miller
Harvey
Loxton (554runs @ 36.93)
Lindwall
+Tallon
Ring (35 wkts @ 37.28)
Johnston

 

[aussie]

The Australian team that played against Pakistan in the third test of the 1999-2000 test series.

Incidently, the team Pakistan fielded in that series was, potentially, their greatest ever as well.

yea i agree, if Sohail was opening with Anwar it would have looked even stronger & back them Mahmood was primed to be a really top-class all-rounder.