Golden Oldies vs Gilded Youth

[Barney Rubble]

There seems to be a lot of players around that are earmarked for Test stardom at around 18-20 (Clarke, Bell, Tait, Cook, De Villiers), but most of them are left to gain more experience in FC cricket these days. Bell was nearly thrown into Test cricket on the last Ashes tour in Oz, Tait went to SL, Cook is captain of the A side, Clarke was in the wings for so long waiting for Lehmann to retire - ABDeV is the only one to be thrown in early. It just seems like because the stakes in Test cricket are so high these days, teams are less reluctant to throw in young players when there's a chance they may not be ready.

 

[marc71178]

Yep definitely. All we're saying is 32 would even it up a bit. You'd have Dravid, Ponting, Vaughan and Tendulkar Akhtar/Bond and Pollockjump over to the other side

But would they all get in?

I have my doubts.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I reckon the under-25s would struggle to be competitive. I've picked what I think is the best XI, but wouldn't make any great claims for it. Too many rabbits for one, Mortaza comes in at 9! Others I overlooked (Steyn, Tait, Edwards) would hardly strengthen the batting either.

I guess McCullum could keep & you could play De Villiers as a specialist bat, but that would weaken the bowling.

1. Taufeeq Umar (24)
2. G Smith* (24)
3. J Rudolph (24)
4. I Bell (23)
5. M Clarke (24)
6. AB De Villiers+ (21)
7. D Bravo (21)
8. I Pathan (24)
9. M Mortaza (21)
10. D Kaneria (24)
11. S Malinga (22)

 

[Barney Rubble]

I reckon the under-25s would struggle to be competitive. I've picked what I think is the best XI, but wouldn't make any great claims for it. Too many rabbits for one, Mortaza comes in at 9! Others I overlooked (Steyn, Tait, Edwards) would hardly strengthen the batting either.

I guess McCullum could keep & you could play De Villiers as a specialist bat, but that would weaken the bowling.

1. Taufeeq Umar (24)
2. G Smith* (24)
3. J Rudolph (24)
4. I Bell (23)
5. M Clarke (24)
6. AB De Villiers+ (21)
7. D Bravo (21)
8. I Pathan (24)
9. M Mortaza (21)
10. D Kaneria (24)
11. S Malinga (22)

Personally I'd have Tait ahead of Malinga and on current form I'd not include Rudolph - I wasn't too impressed with him when England toured SA. Perhaps James Marshall in for him? Or is he too old?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Personally I'd have Tait ahead of Malinga and on current form I'd not include Rudolph - I wasn't too impressed with him when England toured SA. Perhaps James Marshall in for him? Or is he too old?

Hamish is 26, so as they're twins....

I agree Rudolph has been rather average lately, but it's kinda Hobson's choice. Devon Smith, maybe?

 

[Barney Rubble]

Hamish is 26, so as they're twins....

I agree Rudolph has been rather average lately, but it's kinda Hobson's choice. Devon Smith, maybe?

I considered adding him to my provisional III to make it a IV, but he got dropped from the WI side for the last Test against England, and I hadn't heard anything about his form since then.

Maybe he was affected by the fact that, mistaking him for Dwayne Bravo, who scored 50-odd, I said "well batted" when I saw him after last year's Lord's Test. He had scored a shaky 5 off about 20 balls - he gave me a look like he thought I was being sarcastic and rubbing it in!

 

[Jono]

But would they all get in?

I have my doubts.

I answered that later in my post.

"Here's a question. If we had it 32+, with those that I have already mentioned jumping into the other team (or just simply not being valid) who would be the replacements? Inzy? Martyn? Atapattu? Astle? Hayden?"

 

[marc71178]

I guess McCullum could keep & you could play De Villiers as a specialist bat, but that would weaken the bowling.

Use De Villiers' bowling then!

 

[age_master]

My oldies side would be
Langer,
Vaughan,
Dravid,
Tendulkar,
Lara,
Gilchrist
Warne
Pollock
MCGrath
Akhtar
Murali

12th Man Ponting

McGrath at 9

 

[andyc]

Under 30 XI
Sehwag (26)
Strauss (28)
G Smith* (24)
Kallis (29)
Younis Khan (26)
Sangakkara+ (27)
Flintoff (27)
Vettori (26)
Lee (28)
Harmison (26)
S Jones (26)

30 & Over XI
Langer (34)
Vaughan* (30)
Dravid (32)
Ponting (30)
Tendulkar (32)
Lara (36)
Gilchrist+ (33)
Pollock (32)
Warne (35)
Akhtar (30)
McGrath (35)

It's interesting to see you've got 5 Aussies in the over 30s, but only one under 30

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's interesting to see you've got 5 Aussies in the over 30s, but only one under 30

Well, I didn't think Clarke or Tait had done quite enough yet & after them your cupboard is a bit bare....

I think I read somwhere tho that the 2005 touring squad is the oldest ever. Time for a purge after The Oval?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Well, I didn't think Clarke or Tait had done quite enough yet & after them your cupboard is a bit bare....

I think I read somwhere tho that the 2005 touring squad is the oldest ever. Time for a purge after The Oval?

I don't think it would be even close to the oldest, to be honest.

 

[Barney Rubble]

I don't think it would be even close to the oldest, to be honest.

Yeah, in the 30s and 40s they used to have whole squads of over-35s, with some over 50s I believe.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yeah, in the 30s and 40s they used to have whole squads of over-35s, with some over 50s I believe.

Really? I know Ironmonger played in 32/33 in his late 40s, but can't think of too many more Aussies who played on to that age.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Really? I know Ironmonger played in 32/33 in his late 40s, but can't think of too many more Aussies who played on to that age.

I don't know the names, but I remember reading an issue of Wisden (back when it was just Wisden) where it listed the oldest Test teams ever, and there was an Aussie team with a 52-year-old and three or four forty-somethings in it I think.

 

[thierry henry]

I think James Franklin is a better bowler than most of the under-25s listed.

 

[Zinzan]

I think James Franklin is a better bowler than most of the under-25s listed.

Correct....He's become a more than Handy test bowler..just look at his record...And has a lot more ability with the bat than his record shows. Would easily make the under 25 test side at the moment. The only thing that bothers me about Franklin is his body language and his high number of no-balls

 

[BoyBrumby]

James mentioned about how most of the best bowlers are now 30 & over in the "Standard of International Cricket" thread, so I thought I'd resurrect this to see how the Under 30 and 30 & Over XIs might look as of now. A few changes from the teams I picked last year & I'm not sure I agree with the big boss either, seam for the Under 30s looks pretty strong, with the provisio three of them (Hoggy, Bing & Ntini) soon hit 30.

I've only selected players who are currently fit, meaning not considered for the Under 30s are Graeme Smith, Simon Jones or Mohammad Asif and for the 30 & Overs Glenn McGrath, Jacques Kallis, Sachin or Shoaib.

I think I may've left the Oldies too light in seam (Hussey looks first change), but I couldn't leave Murali out for Vaas or (at a stretch) Dizzy.

Thoughts & violent disagreements are, as ever, welcome.

Under 30 XI

1.Andrew Strauss* (29)
2. Virendar Sehwag (27)
3. Chris Gayle (26)
4. Kevin Pietersen (26)
5. Younis Khan (28)
6. Kumar Sangakarra+ (28)
7. Andrew Flintoff (28)
8. Brett Lee (29)
9. Matthew Hoggard (29)
10. Makhaya Ntini (29)
11. Danish Kaneria (25)

30 & Over XI

1. Matthew Hayden (34)
2. Michael Hussey (31)
3. Ricky Ponting (31)
4. Rahul Dravid* (33)
5. Brian Lara (37)
6. Inzamam-ul-Haq (36)
7. Adam Gilchrist+ (34)
8. Shaun Pollock (33)
9. Shane Warne (36)
10. Shane Bond (31)
11. Muttiah Muralitahran (34)

 

[Langeveldt]

The 30 and over team would absolutely kill the youngsters.. Interesting

 

[steds]

Never knew Inzi and Bond were that old.