Worlds greatest team

[bagapath]

in that case take this as the best eng xi

hobbs
hutton
may (c)
hammond
compton
botham
knott (wk)
trueman
barnes
laker
underwood

 

[stephen]

South Africa

Smith
B Richards
G Pollock
Kallis
Nourse
Bland
Boucher (wk)
S Pollock
Steyn
Adcock
Donald

They're short a spinner, but with 5 fast/medium fast options available to them they would have a nightmarish attack. Sub in Volger for Steyn if you really want a spinner.

We could throw in a "best of the rest of the world" team as well.

Gavaskar
Anwar
Tendulkar
Dravid
Miandad
Sangakkara (wk)
Imran (c)
Akram
Younis
Hadlee
Murali

Tried to include Kapil Dev and couldn't find a spot for him. I also debated over Sehwag vs Anwar and ended up deciding on Anwar, given his versatility.

 

[Malleeboy]

Tempted to go Andy Flower (wk) for Sangakkara (wk) for the ROW, just to give the Zimmers a player in the team.

 

[Blakus]

Would prefer Faulkner over Bland and Proctor over Adcock for the SA XI. That way you get your spinner without losing any batting.

 

[Migara]

Tempted to go Andy Flower (wk) for Sangakkara (wk) for the ROW, just to give the Zimmers a player in the team.

Flower as the keeper and Sanag over Miandad. Sehwag over Anwar as well.

RWO

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Sangakkara
Tendulkar
Dravid
Flower (wk)
Imran (c)
Hadlee
Wasim
Waqar
Murali

would be my XI

Imran, Wasim, Waqar and Hadlee in same team with Murali, this bowling lineup is second to none.

 

[Athlai]

Reckon you have to go with Sanga with the gloves and Miandad bat. Sanga was better with the gloves so has to keep, especially if keeping to Murali.

 

[Ikki]

Imran, Wasim, Waqar and Hadlee in same team with Murali, this bowling lineup is second to none.

This is pretty much a line-up equal to: Lillee, McGrath, Lindwall, Miller and Warne. Both I think better than the WIndies line-up, shading it because of the balance the spinner gives.

 

[bagapath]

Flower as the keeper and Sanag over Miandad. Sehwag over Anwar as well.

RWO

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Sangakkara
Tendulkar
Dravid
Flower (wk)
Imran (c)
Hadlee
Wasim
Waqar
Murali

would be my XI

Imran, Wasim, Waqar and Hadlee in same team with Murali, this bowling lineup is second to none.

no migara. javed over sanga for sure. and may be sanath for viru to give an extra spin option and for left-right opening combo.

gavaskar
jayasuriya
dravid
tendulkar
miandad
a.flower (wk)
imran (c)
hadlee
akram
murali
waqar

that team is awesomeness itself

 

[Slifer]

This is the World's Greatest Thread IMO.

On a serious note, I think it's pretty clear that the all time Australian team is better balanced and has more options than the all time West Indian team. That doesn't mean that they'd win though, just that they would be better able to adapt to conditions.

I find it incredible that people are holding (no pun intended) up Marshall to be a class above Lillee and McGrath. If he was better than either of those two fast bowlers, it wasn't by very much at all.

A fast bowling attack consisting of Lillee, McGrath and Miller would make me crap my pants as much as a fast bowling attack of Marshall, Garner, Holding and Ambrose. Especially on a seaming wicket (in which case Lindwall or Davidson would play). Gibbs isn't even in the same league as any of the big 3 Australian spinners - Warne, O'Reilly and Grimmet and I would also place Benaud at least as being a clearly better spinner than Gibbs based on what I have heard from books etc...

I would love to see a five test series played between:

Greenidge
Weekes
Richards
Headley
Lara
Sobers
Dujon (wk)
Marshall
Holding
Ambrose
Garner

and

Trumper
Hayden
Bradman
Chappell
Ponting
Miller
Gilchrist (wk)
Warne
Lillee
O'Reily
McGrath

It would be a sheer joy to watch. We could even make it a 15 test tri series with an English team as well.

To offset the adv Oz has with the Bat id probably include Walcott in my team over Dujon. Still Oz the better balanced team and the one more likely to edge a 5 test series 3-2 (in oz). In the WI i dont see oz winning if there going to include 2 spinners in their attacks.

Also im West indian btw the way and Bradman >>> any batsman in test history period!!!!

WI Team:

Greenidge
Hunte
Headley
Viv*
Lara
Sobers
Walcott+
Marshall
Holding
Ambrose
Garner

12th Harper

 

[stephen]

To offset the adv Oz has with the Bat id probably include Walcott in my team over Dujon. Still Oz the better balanced team and the one more likely to edge a 5 test series 3-2 (in oz). In the WI i dont see oz winning if there going to include 2 spinners in their attacks.

Also im West indian btw the way and Bradman >>> any batsman in test history period!!!!

WI Team:

Greenidge
Hunte
Headley
Viv*
Lara
Sobers
Walcott+
Marshall
Holding
Ambrose
Garner

12th Harper

Yeah O'Reilly would only play on turning/flat tracks. Lindwall ahead of him on seaming wickets. Also, your WI team is good. I debated whether or not to have Hunte or Haynes as the other opener, but I decided on Weekes because he was just a brilliant batsman.

EDIT: Oh and I'd still have Lance Gibbs as your 12th man, to come in on a turner.

 

[Migara]

no migara. javed over sanga for sure. and may be sanath for viru to give an extra spin option and for left-right opening combo.

gavaskar
jayasuriya
dravid
tendulkar
miandad
a.flower (wk)
imran (c)
hadlee
akram
murali
waqar

that team is awesomeness itself

Sanga as a batsman alone averaged 69+. So should be easily the best performing Asian batsman for a extended time (whether he'll tail off we don't know). He has a very good Away average when playing as a pure batsman. For me Sehwag is miles ahed of Jaya in test matches, and Sehwag is probably the best part time spinner that world has seen up to now. Sangakkara averages better than Flower as well and is a better keeper. For the above reasons I take batting Sanga over Miandad and batsman keeper Flower over Batsman keeper Sanga. Sehwag's case is self explanatory. He's miles better than Jayasuriya as a test opener.

In ODIs I might agree with you.