Ranking the Cricinfo All-Time XIs

[Flem274*]

I'd back us to spring some surprises actually, especially on classical home soil. **** facing Bond, Hadlee, Cowie on a traditional NZ pitch.

Wondering if we haven't missed a trick with leaving out Andrew Jones, whose whole career was during one of the greatest periods of fast bowlers ever (he and Martin Crowe were immense in that period as well). The batsmen ahead of him are all class, but the idea nags at me.

And unless the pitches are uncovered, Vettori should make way for Cairns or Taylor (Bruce).

 

[bagapath]

Victor Trumper = Gordon Greenidge
Arthur Morris = Conrad Hunte
Don Bradman > George Headley
Greg Chappell = Viv Richards
Allan Border = Brian Lara
Keith Miller < Garry Sobers in batting; Miller > Sobers in bowling
Adam Gilchrist > Jackie Hendriks
Shane Warne > Lance Gibbs
Bill O'Reilly > = Michael Holding
Dennis Lillee > = Curtly Ambrose
Glenn McGrath = < Malcolm Marshall

bowling: on most of the days lillee, mcgrath and oreilly = marshall, holding and ambrose; warne > gibbs and miller > sobers. advantage australia

wk: australia

batting: trumper, morris, chappell, border = greenidge, hunte, richards, lara. sobers > miller. and bradman + miller = headley + sobers. but gilchrist > hendriks. advantage australia

fielding: aus = wi

 

[Himannv]

To rank them as requested:
Australia
West Indies
South Africa
Pakistan
England (can't believe they're that low, but couldn't fit them in higher)
India
NZ
SL

Personally would have England a bit higher. Maybe at 3 or 4. The only strange pick is Pietersen and he isn't the worst when on song. If they had picked Compton instead they would probably be ranked even higher.

 

[Himannv]

Victor Trumper = Gordon Greenidge
Arthur Morris = Conrad Hunte
Don Bradman > George Headley
Greg Chappell = Viv Richards
Allan Border = Brian Lara
Keith Miller < Garry Sobers in batting; Miller > Sobers in bowling
Adam Gilchrist > Jackie Hendriks
Shane Warne > Lance Gibbs
Bill O'Reilly > = Michael Holding
Dennis Lillee > = Curtly Ambrose
Glenn McGrath = < Malcolm Marshall

bowling: on most of the days lillee, mcgrath and oreilly = marshall, holding and ambrose; warne > gibbs and miller > sobers. advantage australia

wk: australia

batting: trumper, morris, chappell, border = greenidge, hunte, richards, lara. sobers > miller. and bradman + miller = headley + sobers. but gilchrist > hendriks. advantage australia

fielding: aus = wi

Viv and Lara > Chappell and Border

 

[vcs]

To rank them as requested:
Australia
West Indies
South Africa
Pakistan
England (can't believe they're that low, but couldn't fit them in higher)
India
NZ
SL

Are India really that low when Test sides are ranked historically in terms of overall performance or is it just a case of not having a particularly flashy looking All-Time XI?

 

[Shri]

Are India really that low when Test sides are ranked historically in terms of overall performance or is it just a case of not having a particularly flashy looking All-Time XI?

Would be right up there after another 50 years or so. We have been competent for what 20 years now?

 

[GotSpin]

Are India really that low when Test sides are ranked historically in terms of overall performance or is it just a case of not having a particularly flashy looking All-Time XI?

It's not a case of being flashy or ranking historically, but India's AT XI is comparatively weak, especially if it was to play away from home.

 

[bagapath]

Viv and Lara > Chappell and Border

not so easy, mate. whatever case you can build to defend your position please remember that there is as strong a case for chappell, border > richards, lara. better to treat the two pairs as absolute equals. i am not comfortable with any other equation concerning these four champions.

 

[Xuhaib]

Would be right up there after another 50 years or so. We have been competent for what 20 years now?

more like 40 years.

 

[vcs]

It's not a case of being flashy or ranking historically, but India's AT XI is comparatively weak, especially if it was to play away from home.

Maybe I didn't phrase that well but Shri got the gist of it. I wanted to make the point that if you ranked the Test nations on cumulative historical performances, it wouldn't necessarily be the same as ranking their All-Time XIs (obviously it would be an exercise best left to those who have followed world cricket for atleast 40-50 years and know the history of the game). Or maybe it is actually the same, I don't really know. I was just throwing out the question.

 

[andyc]

India's got a hell of a batting line-up, but there's a very large gap between them and the other teams when it comes to bowling.

 

[Matt79]

Personally would have England a bit higher. Maybe at 3 or 4. The only strange pick is Pietersen and he isn't the worst when on song. If they had picked Compton instead they would probably be ranked even higher.

I agree, except who out of Aus, WI, SA or Pakistan do you think is worse than them? By my rankings, I obviously think Pakistan is the next team, but the disparity between the bowling attacks meant I couldn't put Pakistan below them. Very close though.

 

[Matt79]

Are India really that low when Test sides are ranked historically in terms of overall performance or is it just a case of not having a particularly flashy looking All-Time XI?

6th seems harsh as they have a great batting line up, but all the teams above them have an equally great batting line up (apart from Pakistan) and a vastly superior bowling attack.

 

[subshakerz]

6th seems harsh as they have a great batting line up, but all the teams above them have an equally great batting line up (apart from Pakistan) and a vastly superior bowling attack.

Could easily see NZ with Bond and Hadlee beating India in NZ.

 

[Himannv]

I agree, except who out of Aus, WI, SA or Pakistan do you think is worse than them? By my rankings, I obviously think Pakistan is the next team, but the disparity between the bowling attacks meant I couldn't put Pakistan below them. Very close though.

Pakistan arguably have a better bowling attack, but I think on the whole England have the stronger side. Larwood, Trueman, Barnes, Botham and Underwood is far from shabby. Also they have some of the best openers of all times along with a fairly accomplished middle order (exception is KP once again). I'd personally rank them alongside South Africa.

 

[Flem274*]

I reckon you'd find these all time XIs would all be immense at home and varying degrees of awesome away.

Murali alone is reason enough to be wary of SL at home, for instance.

 

[subshakerz]

Pakistan arguably have a better bowling attack, but I think on the whole England have the stronger side. Larwood, Trueman, Barnes, Botham and Underwood is far from shabby. Also they have some of the best openers of all times along with a fairly accomplished middle order (exception is KP once again). I'd personally rank them alongside South Africa.

Agreed, Pakistan's batting simply is not on the same level, but SA is better for me on every level.

 

[Matt79]

Pakistan arguably have a better bowling attack, but I think on the whole England have the stronger side. Larwood, Trueman, Barnes, Botham and Underwood is far from shabby. Also they have some of the best openers of all times along with a fairly accomplished middle order (exception is KP once again). I'd personally rank them alongside South Africa.

Think when I've ranked them previously, I've had England as high as 3. But that was with my XI, and maybe it was Pietersen and Larwood that put me off. No disrespect to either, both top drawer players, but they make the team weaker than my XI, and I probably punished them for that here.

 

[Ikki]

not so easy, mate. whatever case you can build to defend your position please remember that there is as strong a case for chappell, border > richards, lara. better to treat the two pairs as absolute equals. i am not comfortable with any other equation concerning these four champions.

Personally, I'd tend to agree with Lara and Viv > Border and Chappell but I appreciate your approach to it. Just wanted to say that.

 

[Teja.]

Nah. IMO, Border>Chappell>Lara>Viv.