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Rest of the World XIs to play Australia

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
The time factor!

For us it is the middle of the day, so we are awake - for you however it is not...
 

Craig

World Traveller
Still gave us the chance to watch us see him bowl and I often stayed up over midnight (AEST) watching the cricket. At worst, there were daily two hour highlights.
 

Craig

World Traveller
So for a ROW XI to be picked, it would be (I would pick):

GC Smith
HH Gibbs
*SP Fleming
BC Lara
SR Tendulkar
S Chanderpaul
+MV Boucher
SM Pollock
WUPJC Vaas
SE Bond
M Muralitharan

I picked Fleming as he is would be the best captain in the world and so is perfect for the job, but it is hard not to pick Gary Kirsten and I didnt want Kallis batting at 6 so that's why Chanderpaul (a very good batsman) got the nod and I dont see the need to play an all rounder just for the sake of it. Pollock makes it as bowler alone.

Bond was the only very good pace bowler I could thnk of outside of Vaas and Pollock and Murali picks himself.

On a turning wicket Vettori would get the nod over Bond giving me a three 3 quicks and two spinners.

I picked GC Smith and HH Gibbs as IMO they are the best opening combination in the world (better then Hayden and Langer) and Vaughan is unlucky to miss out.

Boucher is handy batsman and a good 'keeper as well. Pollock, Vaas, Lara and Tendulkar pick themselves (IMO).

There I think I have justified my selections.
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
Are we talking about picking the same Graeme Smith who was unable to withstand the sledge from Australia?
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
And who, once the English worked him out couldn't buy a run?

The one who's 277 should've been 8 and his series would then have been a pretty poor one?


And what's this obsession with Vaas - he's a handy bowler, but nothing at all special!
 

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
What's Mark Richardson done wrong to miss out of that side?

Would Sangakkara be a better pick as keeper than Boucher? (I don't think so)
 

Fred Jr

Cricket Spectator
1. Michael Vaughan
2. Gary Kirsten
3. Brian Lara (c)
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Rahul Dravid
6. Jacques Kallis
7. Adam Gilchrist (wk)
8. Shaun Pollock
9. Makhaya Ntini
10. Shane Bond
11. Muttiah Muralitharan

12. Freddie Flintoff to come in for Ntini or Draivd should the bowling/batting need bolstering.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Fred Jr said:
1. Michael Vaughan
2. Gary Kirsten
3. Brian Lara (c)
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Rahul Dravid
6. Jacques Kallis
7. Adam Gilchrist (wk)
8. Shaun Pollock
9. Makhaya Ntini
10. Shane Bond
11. Muttiah Muralitharan

12. Freddie Flintoff to come in for Ntini or Draivd should the bowling/batting need bolstering.
Last check Adam Gilchrist is Australian...
 

Mr. P

International Vice-Captain
My side if I had the chance...

1. Stephen Fleming (c)
2. Hababul Bashar
3. Jacques Kallis
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Rahul Dravid
6. Brian Lara
7. Mark Boucher
8. Shaun Pollock
9. Makhaya Ntini
10. Shane Bond
11. Muttiah Muralitharan

I put Bashar in the side because of his amazing recent performances and the fact that he did very well against Australia. It might seem extreme, but i had only a few other options. Gibbs and Kirsten, who didn't exactly have a stellar tour of Aus last time they visited. Graeme Smith, who in my opinion is still unproven as he has been inconsistant despite his large scores. Bashar has been on fire and his recent performance are almost, dare i say it, Australian like.

Pollock, Ntini and Bond are my bowlers. I think these are for obvious reasons.

I put Lara down the order because we didnt really have a lower order, and i didn't really want him directly above or below sachin.

Finally I have Boucher as my keeper, as I saw Sangakkara when he toured Australia, and there was nothing about him that impressed me.
 

gibbsnsmith

State Vice-Captain
my team would be

M.Vaughan
H.Gibbs
B.Lara
S.Tendulkar
J.Kallis
A.Flintoff
M.Boucher
S.Pollock
S.Bond
M.Muralitharan
B.Lee
 

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
gibbsnsmith said:
my team would be

M.Vaughan
H.Gibbs
B.Lara
S.Tendulkar
J.Kallis
A.Flintoff
M.Boucher
S.Pollock
S.Bond
M.Muralitharan
B.Lee
Brett Lee happens to be Australian.
 

Cloete

International Captain
Mr Mxyzptlk said:
Last check Adam Gilchrist is Australian...
i'd consider him more of an elven kind along with the likes of AA and Caddick.

Seriously I don't think Flintoff deserves a spot there. You'd be better off playing 5 bats, a keeper, Kallis and 4 bowlers (+ pollock who can bat)!!! There's many a bowler around the world better than Flintoff. Ntini, Pollock, Bond, Murali, Streak and Vaas (meh, really hot and cold tho so maybe not) have all done better than FLintoff (bar Vaas maybe). And then you have Kallis as your fourth seamer and a bat and if we're going on current form (like YOU said so) then i think pollock's batting (been good through his whole career tho really) is also good. i mean it must be around 32-35ish now which is probably better than Flintoff himself!! I think you are being biased here!! I mean Alec Stewart hasn't been in crash hot form has he? I'd have BOucher and Sangakarrra than him! look marc if you can constantly say we're biased, i'm gonna say it here that team that you suggest is BIASED! you should be prepared to get back what you give when you do that.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
I think Pollock's average is only above Flintoff because he's a lot of not outs, and Freddie has never been not out.
 

Cloete

International Captain
marc71178 said:
I think Pollock's average is only above Flintoff because he's a lot of not outs, and Freddie has never been not out.
yeah that's also true. but you did also say current form. and pollock had a great series with bat and ball. whereas flintoff had an okay series with the bat but quite a good one with the ball. he'd definitely be on the fringe. i just don't think he's quite deserved of a place in the XI. however he's definitely getting there. just the main thing that annoyed me is ur always going off at us aussies and then i see this :!(:!( :saint: :P;)
 

Cloete

International Captain
marc71178 said:
If Pollock's series with the bat is "great", then how come Flintoff's is "OK"?
yeah you raise a good point. i guess you can attribute that down to the fact that i didn't think Pollock ould go so well when I always knew that Flintoff was a good batsmen (kinda contradicting, but Pollock's bowling has always benn brilliant). also looking at bowling Pollock 17 wkts @ 24.70 Flintoff 10 wkts at 59.20:rolleyes:. the batting in that ROW XI looks the goods as well. But in the bowling Pollock is alot more capable and the side needs better bowling than Flintoff. Their averages in batting aren't too different but Pollock's in a completely different league in terms of bowling.
 

Mister Wright

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Anyone who thinks G.Smith is any good is crazy! Take him off a flat deck with bowlers who look like they will take wickets and fielders who actually take catches and he struggles to score a run.
 

Bazza

International 12th Man
Lets see what I can come up with:

Richardson
Trescothick
Lara (C)
Tendulkar
Dravid
Kallis
Sangakkara (WK)
Pollock
Bond
Harbhajan
Muralitharan

I picked two spinners because Australia are weaker against quality spin, and because there seems to be a dearth of decent pace bowlers. According to PWC the next best would be Shoaib, then Caddick! Bond would unlikely be fit so would need someone....

Murali and to an extent Harbhajan would be useful in any conditions, but you could drop Harbhajan for a third frontline seamer.

Openers are in form and middle order is self explanatory.

Sangakkara gets in for his batting, as alot of keepers are very samey in terms of ability, and batting needs alot of depth against them these days - Pollock and Bond provide good cover down to number 9.
 

Bazza

International 12th Man
Now for an ODI side:

Tendulkar
Gayle
Lara (C)
Youhana
Kallis
Sarwan
Dravid (WK)
Flintoff
Pollock
Bond
Murali

Maybe a few surprises in here. Gayle gets the nod as opener and 6th bowler. Much harder to fit a keeper in when you don't have Gilchrist opening so Dravid plays. Included Flintoff for his outstanding one day bowling, but ridiculously that means batting down to 9, and lots of big hitters. This could mean Youhana, Kallis and Dravid dropping down, or maybe it would be better to replace Dravid with a genuine keeper to bat at 8 or 9.

The rest pretty much pick themselves. As I said an alternative could be to play Vaas, Ntini, Zaheer or Anderson instead of Flintoff and have Sangakkara or boucher keep wicket instead fo Dravid, depending on what balance you want.
 

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