smalishah84's favorite XI

[OverratedSanity]

I always thought that Mark Waugh should open in test matches as well, it was a pity that he rarely played in the top order but in my team he is coming out to open. This team will have style and substance and there is no one better than Waugh who fits the bill.

You being a Pakistani I expected you to pick Saeed Anwar as an opener, just as graceful as Waugh and overall a better batsman, definitely a more proven opener. And seeing as your first two picks are two of the most elegant and graceful to ever play the game, it wouldn't surprise me if you picked Anwar next.

 

[bagapath]

I love Holding and Mark Waugh too. But since you are getting a middle order bat to open - exactly like Furball, I detest your team already.

 

[smash84]

The haters can GAGF

 

[The Battlers Prince]

I love Holding and Mark Waugh too. But since you are getting a middle order bat to open - exactly like Furball, I detest your team already.

Did nobody have a go at you for Lara at 5? despicable

 

[Red]

Mark Edward Waugh is my favourite Cricket of all time so I think its a great selection - but Waugh has to bat in the middle order.

Mine too. Absolute favourite. At #4.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Spoiler Alert

Mark Edward Waugh is my favourite Cricket of all time so I think its a great selection - but Waugh has to bat in the middle order.

wtf. NUFAN and I seem to like the same players. ME Waugh would certainly be one of my favourite batsmen of all time.

 

[watson]

I'm with everyone else - ATG teams must have specialists for each role, and Waugh wasn't a specialist Test opener.

 

[uvelocity]

listen smali****, everyone loves mark waugh. languid strokemaker with all the time in the world. just one of those guys who has it all and everyone likes. would never make a test opener though, he loved to play at everything - which got him in trouble at times even at 4. Also had a problem with scoring big hundreds, which is what you love your openers to do, either as a partnership go big, or at least for one to bat a majority of the innings. i also highly doubt whether he would ever want to be a test opener. surely the kind of cool cat who wants to (and with his talent you let him) bat in the easier periods and cash in on the nuggets getting you off to a solid start.

dravid you can get away with as an opener, junior you cant.

 

[marc71178]

I'm with everyone else - ATG teams must have specialists for each role, and Waugh wasn't a specialist Test opener.

This isn't an ATG side though.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I'm with everyone else - ATG teams must have specialists for each role, and Waugh wasn't a specialist Test opener.

Only it's not an ATG side, it's Smali's favourite XI. Jeez. Imagine the kittens you'll have with my line up when I open the batting with Iain O'Brien and his mighty defensive crotch to see the shine off the new ball.

 

[Furball]

I love Holding and Mark Waugh too. But since you are getting a middle order bat to open - exactly like Furball, I detest your team already.

I believe Rahul Dravid was a top order batsman.

 

[Jono]

Chill the **** out everyone.

 

[uvelocity]

my size 12's are gonna be brown from shoving them fair up your clacker jono

 

[uvelocity]

and no you cant do your favourite eleven

 

[Furball]

smali, is there any particular reason it's a favourite XI as opposed to a greatest XI?

 

[smash84]

no particular reason except that I favor some of them for aesthetics rather than them being strictly greater players

 

[smash84]

Which brings me to my 3rd selection. Arguably the greatest left arm bowler ever to play the game if Bradman's word is to be taken.

Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram is the most skillful fast bowler that I have ever seen in all my years of watching cricket. Period. Now some may ask what was it that made Wasim so skillful? Well, everything. The way he would set up the batsmen by dragging him across the crease. He could do everything with the ball that others could only dream of. Inswing, outswing, movement off the seam, yorkers, swinging yorkers, sharp bouncers, good slower balls, and he could do all of this of a few steps and without losing too much pace. He could bowl six different types of deliveries in one over, he did have that kind of variety and that would keep the batsmen guessing. He always gave you that feeling that he something special was around the corner. Some magical delivery would be coming up soon enough. And sure enough come it did. To me cricket has not been the same since Akram retired. If you think I am very different in my assessment of him as a bowler just go and ask Allan Donald, Glenn McGrath, Curtly Ambrose, Brian Lara, Stephen Fleming and they will tell you that I speak nothing but the truth

 

[Furball]

no particular reason except that I favor some of them for aesthetics rather than them being strictly greater players

Fair call.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

surprising

 

[The Battlers Prince]

seriously though, he is one of my favourite left armers, his swing was the best I've ever seen, followed by Damien Fleming. Just amazing control for a swing bowler as well. Handy with a bat too. Good selection