All-Time IPL Draft

[Bevab]

Also just for clarification's sake, @Aislabie will the current day players picked be rated on how good they are in T20s overall or just the IPL like in my version of the IPL draft? Basically, is it worth picking a Maxwell who has been terrible in the IPL but is a top class T20 player in general?

And how would a player who played T20s only towards the end of his career past his peak be judged? Would it be based on how good they were at their prime and how consistent their peak was (like most other drafts) or would it be based on the version we happened to see in the twilight of their careers? An example would be someone like Ponting or Sanath.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

And here I was expecting Viv to go unpicked till my chance...

lol

 

[Aislabie]

Also just for clarification's sake, @Aislabie will the current day players picked be rated on how good they are in T20s overall or just the IPL like in my version of the IPL draft? Basically, is it worth picking a Maxwell who has been terrible in the IPL but is a top class T20 player in general?

And how would a player who played T20s only towards the end of his career past his peak be judged? Would it be based on how good they were at their prime and how consistent their peak was (like most other drafts) or would it be based on the version we happened to see in the twilight of their careers? An example would be someone like Ponting or Sanath.

Basically, it wouldn't be fair to judge players only based on their IPL performances, given that so many selections here wouldn't have played in the IPL. So instead, I'm going with the system of players being judged by whichever is best out of their peak career performances (over a period of three-ish years) or by their peak IPL performance (over a period of three-ish seasons)

But honestly, there won't be much judgement - it's more about enjoying ourselves and picking (for instance) Joginder Sharma to bowl at Don Bradman

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sir Garfield Sobers

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@Bevab is next.

 

[Bevab]

I had no idea that he would still be available at this point and it would be criminal to let him go now. My first pick will be Sir Donald Bradman, the greatest batsman to have ever played cricket.

But would he make sense as a T20 batsman pick especially with him taking an overseas slot?

Absolutely yes. Do not let the incredible average of his and his ability to stay at the crease unperturbed for long periods distract you from the fact that Bradman had a strike-rate of 61 in his test career. With some era adjustment courtesy of the excellent statistician Charlie Davis (who has added the number of balls each batsman has faced for loads of tests in the 19th and 20th century), Bradman ranks ninth among all batsmen to have played test cricket. A staggeringly good achievement given the players that he has alongside him on that list, few of whom have proved their mettle in T20 cricket already.

But his playing style was remarkable for minimizing risk taking and scoring on the ground?

A valid point given the importance of sixes in T20s. However, Bradman was not shy to hit big in matches when he needed to. His biggest strength was the sheer mental fortitude to switch into the mode where he never means to lose his wicket and the adaptability to switch gears whenever required to hogging the strike, rotating it and hitting out. The rational calculation of staying as long as possible to score runs in test cricket would always lead to a batsman preferring to score on the ground to minimize risks of a catch. In a situation where he needed to hit out or was free to, Bradman could be very aggressive indeed as evidenced by him scoring a triple century in a single day and that century in just three 8 ball overs.

Where does he fit in my side?

Every T20 side benefits the most by having a batsman who can manipulate the strike and remain in there while striking boundaries consistently. This player often bats in the powerplay to get the side off to a quick start by hitting over the top of fielders to settle in with a flurry of boundaries. The biggest issue with this type of player is them getting out before they can capitalize on the time they've spent at the crease. And who better than Bradman at capitalizing on starts? This is a man who has crossed 50+ in every other innings that he plays and is almost never bound to lose his wicket once he gets a start and has his eye in. Your best bet would be to dismiss him before he settles himself in. In addition, Bradman's biggest weakness was the sticky wickets while he feasted on the more normal pitches of those days. In T20s, you are almost never likely to get anything other than a flat pitch. Bradman was also a superb cover fielder who has nine run-outs to his name, an excellent record for someone with just 52 tests to his name.

He shall open in my team and play a role similar to that of a Rahul or Buttler by scoring quickly in the powerplay, consolidating in the middle overs with a boundary every over or two before gearing up for a big finish.

@CerealKiller to pick next.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sir Garfield Sobers

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@Bevab is next.

Sorry for such posts with out much to read, caught up with many things

However, pals like @Bevab @Aislabie @Yash. @CerealKiller can always come up with their short opinions and justifications for my picks

will love to hear in your words whether my pick was a right one or not....

 

[Bevab]

Sorry for such posts with out much to read, caught up with many things

However, pals like @Bevab @Aislabie @Yash. @CerealKiller can always come up with their short opinions and justifications for my picks

will love to hear in your words whether my pick was a right one or not....

The first four picks have all been the ones that I expected. Expected Bradman to be #2 and Kapil to be #4 though. As for Sobers, can bowl six different deliveries in an over and can hit the ball long if needed and is one of the best batsmen in the history of cricket. Probably should bat higher up the order in a T20 in comparison to his West Indies lineup's position.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

The first four picks have all been the ones that I expected. Expected Bradman to be #2 and Kapil to be #4 though. As for Sobers, can bowl six different deliveries in an over and can hit the ball long if needed and is one of the best batsmen in the history of cricket. Probably should bat higher up the order in a T20 in comparison to his West Indies lineup's position.

can be used as a floater like pollard or pandya[DOUBLEPOST=1603545301][/DOUBLEPOST]

Expected Bradman to be #2

i guess the reason being, one can find many t20 oriented openers or top order batsmen in indian pre-2000 era but not the same kind of ample options in all rounder category except kapil dev, so people might have looked to pick that all rounder overseas spot which can improve the balance of the side to a great extent

 

[Bevab]

i guess the reason being, one can find many t20 oriented openers or top order batsmen in indian pre-2000 era but not the same kind of ample options in all rounder category except kapil dev, so people might have looked to pick that all rounder overseas spot which can improve the balance of the side to a great extent

That was why I was hesitant to pick him until I found out that he was one of the most aggressive batsmen in his era anyways and having a freakishly consistent opener wins you games nine out of ten times.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Looking at all these picks so far, I am already nervous. I thought this will be easy but, I guess I will have to work pretty hard now which is very difficult given the amount of time at my disposal. The pre T20 era players are gonna make life difficult.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Looking at all these picks so far, I am already nervous. I thought this will be easy but, I guess I will have to work pretty hard now which is very difficult given the amount of time at my disposal. The pre T20 era players are gonna make life difficult.

these words are coming out from modi!

times have changed

 

[Bevab]

Looking at all these picks so far, I am already nervous. I thought this will be easy but, I guess I will have to work pretty hard now which is very difficult given the amount of time at my disposal. The pre T20 era players are gonna make life difficult.

Thankfully we do have a previous draft on a very similar topic in which you assembled a beast of a side.

 

[CerealKiller]

I will try to compensate for the lack of Pakistani players, so don’t complain if i end up with 4 Pakistanis
First up, Zaheer Abbas. He was the most destructive ODI batsman of the 80s not named Viv Richards. He struck at a rate of 86 runs per 100 balls, which is phenomenal, considering in which era he played.

CerealKiller’s XI
1.
2.
3. Zaheer Abbas
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

@The Real Modi

 

[Gaurav_7]

Thankfully we do have a previous draft on a very similar topic in which you assembled a beast of a side.

I was just checking that out and due to lack of time I will just copy paste my 2nd pick from that draft over here.

Keith Miller
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Keith "Nugget" Miller. He was a live life king size sort of a personality. His strokeplay was brutal and effortless at the same time. Many said he played cricket like a war. And when in mood he could demolish bowlers like no other. When Miller retired he was the best all rounder in cricket history. ICC rankings when worked for the given era when he played had him as the top AR for 8 straight years.

His bowling was lethal. He could deliver the ball at gun speed even when bowling from a short run up. He was a cunning work horse. He took a 10 wicket haul in a match while stuggling with his back when his famous bowling partner Lindwall was absent in the XI. Miller was a part of the 'Invincibles' of Don Bradman led Aussie side which was undefeated for 31 matches. His straight six at the SCG which was considered the biggest hit of the time is still remembered by many even till today.

'One of the most volatile cricketers of any age. Long, rangy, athletic type—drove the ball with tremendous power—tried to hit sixes with abandon. Many of them would have been prodigious. Would have been a far better player had he curbed this propensity and showed more judgement in his hitting. Dangerous bowler with the new ball, swinging it both ways not much short of [Ray] Lindwall's speed. [...] In 1948 he was the best slip field in the world. Altogether, a crowd-pleasing personality ... whose limitations were caused mainly by his own failure to concentrate.'

— Don Bradman

His relation with Sir Don wasn't too lovey dovey but despite that he earned praises from him along with a bit of criticism. Keith Miller was said to be an impatient batsman and someone who could accomlish great heights if he was a bit more patient with his batting. But in T20 cricket he is best suited as one can go bang bang from ball one. Add to that him opening the bowling and sending those rapid deliveries at batsmen! A perfect T20 player I will say!

Keith Miller

 

[CerealKiller]

@Yash. is up