I guess the choice between my team and anil's team depends on whether you prefer a standard 6/1/4 mix or a team which has more bowling options but less specialists (particularly batsmen). Obviously the way I drafted suggests which way I prefer. Anil's team has a guys averaging in the mid-high 30s batting 5 to 8 and a couple of guys averaging around 20, while my side has a longer tail but better openers and guys at 5 and 6 who averaged 50. Personally I tend to think that in an AT setup, the guys averaging in the 30s are going to be found out more than guys who average in the 50s. Our 3-4 are the most directly comparable positions in our sides with Lara + Azhar being pretty close to Jones + Barrington.
I agree about balance being a significant influencer, personally I like a 5th bowling option - its why I went for Stokes quite early even though there were definitely better players still around but I wanted a 5th bowling option and if they could bat in the top 6 that gave me far greater flexibility with the keeper - the plans for the keeper itself shifted quite a bit from Dhoni as planned next pick to possibly ABDV to Watling once the openers I was eyeing up in the 30 caps camp got selected.
I know I'm in the minority but I personally believe that a fifth bowler who does much more than roll their arm over occasionally is kind of unnecessary.
Point taken I just prefer the extra security of a fifth bowler personally and would argue in the cases of WI and Australia you have 2 of the best sides ever playing against sides more often than not worse than them. Against similar levels of sides think its more likely a partnership really gets stuck in and just personally I'd like the option of another bowling option to allow the other bowlers to be a bit fresher and be able to attack for longer - sometimes see sides almost let the game drift until the 2nd new ball (granted they aren't often sides made up of several ATGs but they also aren't against sides made up of several ATGs the majority of the time) - having Stokes gives an attacking option to try and bring about a breakthrough and depending on whether the pitch is spinning at all on Day 1 or not allow us not to let the game drift too much with MacGill if he isn't threatening too much or if he is doing a good job allow the other seamers to take on a slightly lighter workload - Starc not a stranger to injuries either looking at my side. In my head I had a rough idea of 3 frontline seamers bowling 18 overs, MacGill 22 overs or so and Stokes 14 overs although that is flexible - in the last 5 years Stokes does average 28 with the ball too.
To the contrary: the higher level the side, the more stress is placed upon the main bowlers - meaning a fifth bowler is more needed.
Unless he struggles with more injuries and his batting is seen as too crucial to risk his fitness with bowling think his bowling average will go below 30 definitely and if his batting is seen as so crucial that he effectively gives up bowling his batting average would improve by a decent margin you would imagine. But guess the differences in opinion is what makes drafting great you see differing approaches and philosophies.
It is always interesting for me this. I like Kallis at number 3, I think his skills are better adapted for number 3 but he spent 2/3 of his career at 4. But that was because SA had a great number 3 in Amla come along.
