that Virat Kohli

[harsh.ag]

Yeah, Zulu over Freddie.

Sachin | Ponting | Viv | Kohli | ABdV | Dhoni | Klusener | Wasim | Pollock | Garner | Murali

This for me as of now. No weaknesses whatsoever. Bats deep with consistent fast scoring. Loads of bowling. Can accommodate Warne on ideal conditions over Pollock.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Virat Kohli got a century. Again. He now has 25 ODI centuries. And he's the quickest to reach the mark, taking only 162 innings. That's incredible! And averages over 50. Is he a guaranteed pick in the ATG ODI team now?

Yes but he might have to bat at 3 or 4.

Viv
Ponting
Kohli

Would be a solid middle order, but not sure about specific positions for them yet. Would Viv agree to bat behind Kohli or Ponting?

 

[marc71178]

lol come on seriously guys? Obviously a mixture of him being a better batsman in the period of his career when he was at 5 (shocking!) and having more of an opportunity to build an innings/less likely to throw away wicket late down the order.

You can't honestly be telling me that he was somehow magically a completely different player at the mystical "no. 5" just because it was that magical place in the batting order. It's not rocket science.

Actually, from you know, watching him, that is exactly what happened. He came in at 5 and immediately changed the way he approached his batting to build an innings and became much more successful.

 

[Prince EWS]

Flintoff had a lot more time to build an innings when he came in at 5; it genuinely did suit him a lot more. Obviously there are some elements of him being at his best when he batted there too, but I think the batting position had a lot to do with it. It's not about a magic superstitious number, but about the match situations he faced and the role he saw for himself.

 

[Pratters]

Yeah, Zulu over Freddie.

Sachin | Ponting | Viv | Kohli | ABdV | Dhoni | Klusener | Wasim | Pollock | Garner | Murali

This for me as of now. No weaknesses whatsoever. Bats deep with consistent fast scoring. Loads of bowling. Can accommodate Warne on ideal conditions over Pollock.

That team doesn't have a fair enough sixth bowler which is so important in ODIs. This is where some one like Symonds or Kallis was terrific to have in the team.

 

[harsh.ag]

That team doesn't have a fair enough sixth bowler which is so important in ODIs. This is where some one like Symonds or Kallis was terrific to have in the team.

6th bowler?? Now I have heard it all. Anyways Sachin and Viv are more than enough.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yeah 6th bowler in ODIs is in no way essential. Part timers can take care of the 6th bowler duties if the need arises. It's when part timers become the 5th bowler that the team struggles.

 

[Pratters]

Would be more comfortable with Kallis or Symonds in the top 5, no?

 

[Prince EWS]

I tend to think Klusener's bowling would get tanked against an opposition of a similar quality to the side selected. I think most people have a higher opinion of his bowling than I do though.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

To my mind if you need to bowl a 6th bowler you are losing the game, probably because one of your main bowlers got tonked.

I'd never bowl a non-specialist bowler, not even for one over, if I had an ATG team to choose from.

 

[harsh.ag]

I tend to think Klusener's bowling would get tanked against an opposition of a similar quality to the side selected. I think most people have a higher opinion of his bowling than I do though.

Don't think so at all. Klusener is ideal for the middle overs. Has lots of gears. He really was a very good bowler till 2000 I think. Fell off after that.

 

[91Jmay]

Flintoff is a much better bowler than Klusener and at least on par as a batsmen.

 

[Black_Warrior]

That team doesn't have a fair enough sixth bowler which is so important in ODIs. This is where some one like Symonds or Kallis was terrific to have in the team.

To be honest, that's a pretty solid bowling attack. I don't see them being unable to complete their quota. If on the occasion that Klusener goes for plenty, Kohli or AB or Tendulkar can fill up the remaining overs.

 

[honestbharani]

Gilchrist is very very good but Dhoni over him easily as the best wicket keeper batsman in ODIs. And there are several openers of better quality anyways to serve the purpose. My ODI ATG XI for today:


Sachin
Lara
Viv
Kohli
Bevan
Dhoni (wk)
Kapil (thanks harsh )
Wasim
Vettori
Hadlee
Lee


Got bowlers of all varieties in there.. Loving it



EDIT: Got Kapil in for Imran, coz more sixes!!!!

 

[Chrish]

McGrath has to be there in any OdI xi

 

[honestbharani]

Not when I can have Hadlee or Ambrose or Garner instead...

 

[Grumpy]

Flintoff is a much better bowler than Klusener and at least on par as a batsmen.

DWTA. Klusener was sensational in that ball dominated WC. I don't think Flintoff would have been capable of those batting feats in those conditions against those bowlers.

Flintoff was a better bowler. Agree with that.

 

[honestbharani]

Klusener was pretty darn good as a bowler when he started off. Think it started to fall apart from around 1999 when he started to drop pace and by 2001 or so he was basically bowling fastish offspin.

 

[Pratters]

I tend to think Klusener's bowling would get tanked against an opposition of a similar quality to the side selected. I think most people have a higher opinion of his bowling than I do though.

Klusener wasn't a terrific bowler by any means. He does have a fine odi record I think though but yeah, he doesn't fill me with confidence.

 

[harsh.ag]

Flintoff is a much better bowler than Klusener and at least on par as a batsmen.

DWTA. Klusener was sensational in that ball dominated WC. I don't think Flintoff would have been capable of those batting feats in those conditions against those bowlers.

Flintoff was a better bowler. Agree with that.

Flintoff's a better bowler, yes. But Klusener was quicker to get off the blocks while batting, and at number 7 that's more important.

Klusener was pretty darn good as a bowler when he started off. Think it started to fall apart from around 1999 when he started to drop pace and by 2001 or so he was basically bowling fastish offspin.

Klusener wasn't a terrific bowler by any means. He does have a fine odi record I think though but yeah, he doesn't fill me with confidence.

Klusener took 130 wickets in 97 games at 26 and then tailed off after 2000. But he was really good on song and terrific peak.

The only one who I would consider replacing him at number 7 with is Kapil. Better bowler, big hitter, quick off the blocks, good fielder. Just not as consistent with the bat.

Imran didn't score quickly enough for the all time number 7 spot. Symonds is good but lacks bowling chops compared to Klusener and Kapil.