All-Time ODi XI

[King Pietersen]

Sachin and Hayden > the others in terms of opening batsmen. That's why I think my team's got the better balance. Gilchrist was a fantastic wicket-keeper batsman, and did the opening job brilliantly, but his record has nothing on Sachin and Hayden. That then means that I have to pick a Keeper who bats down the order, and frankly Dhoni's got a better record than any. 4th highest on the all-time ODi batting averages list, behind just Hussey, Bevan and Pietersen. That's why Me > You.

 

[Cricketman]

I rate Gilchrist > Hayden. He's a much more dangerous batsman and doubles up as a keeper up the order.

 

[King Pietersen]

LOL. I wish Aussie Ben was here to read that. Hayden's ODi average was 43 with a very good strike rate, which got better as the years went on. Hayden is easily the most consistently dominating ODi opening batsman to play the game. Look at his record in 2007 for example, he was the forgotten man in that World Cup, it was Gilchrist that took the praise for his innings in the Final, but Hayden outplayed him for the whole tournament prior to that. His record in 2007 reads 32 Matches, 1601 runs at an average of 59.29 with 5 hundreds and 6 fifties and at a strike rate of 89.

Gilchrist was a quality opening batsman-keeper, but if you're going for the best players in each position, you want the 2 best openers, as it's one of the most important roles in the team, and Hayden and Tendulkar are a league above anyone else. Then you have the keeper down the order, and with someone with a record as good as Dhoni's in the mix you don't need Michael Bevan, as Dhoni's not far off him in terms of finishing ability and he's a keeper. So personally I think it makes far more sense to have the keeper down the order, just makes the team so much better balanced.

 

[Cricketman]

There is no way Dhoni is one of the greatest to ever play the game, yet. Gilchrist is FAR better with the gloves and is a more explosive batsman, even though Dhoni hits it tons harder.

I still think Gilchrist is better. He'll either get out cheaply, or go on to make a quickfire 70 or so. And you can't have a World XI without him, sorry.

Hayden wasn't even a permanent fixture in the team until only like, 6 years ago.

 

[Dare]

There was nothing wrong with Australia's balance when Gilly was opening. Having a ODI team without Bevan really doesn't make much sense to me. Neither does having Pietersen with his 87 ODIs over guys who played 300+ ODIs and kept their averages over 40.

 

[King Pietersen]

He became a permanent figure in the team in 2002, so that's a run of 6 years in the team. In which time he averaged 45 with 9 hundreds at a strike rate of 80. If that's not good enough to get him in the side alongside Tendulkar, then I don't know what is. Dhoni may not be a great of the game, but nor is Lance Kluesenar. The fact is, there has never been a better Wicket-keeper down the order than MS Dhoni.

The openers are a key position, and you'd want them to score as many runs as possible, and the fact is, Hayden and Tendulkar would score more runs than Tendulkar and Gilchrist. You want the best, and the odd quickfire 70 is not enough to get Gilchrist in the team. If that's all you need to get into a World XI, then sign Shahid Afridi and Sanath Jayasuriya up!

 

[Cricketman]

That's exactly what i'm saying. The others have all averaged 35+ in TONS more games, against better bowlers on more bowler friendly pitches. Pietersen waltzes into the side after having a high average, against worse bowlers on flatter tracks in a fraction of the matches? Same goes of Dhoni.

Cricketman added 0 Minutes and 57 Seconds later...

Yeah, but he was the greatest wicket keeper to ever play the game. I think THAT's good enough to get into any side. Gilchrist averaged 36 at a strike rate of 96! That's astonishing.

 

[King Pietersen]

At the end of the day it depends on your team selection, if you're happy to have a guy at the top of the order who's going to misfire more times than he fires, just so you can have the keeper at the top then fair enough. Personally I see having the 2 best openers at the top of the order more important. I'd like to include Gilchrist in my team, I'm a big fan of his, but the fact is, Dhoni's got a better record batting down the order, and he's got more experience doing it. His keeping is as good, or not far off Gilchrists as well, towards the end of Gilly's career he was dropping a fair few catches. For the balance of my side, Hayden and Dhoni do a better job than Gilchrist and Bevan.

Also, Pietersen's a legend. I was always going to include him in my side, just helps that he's got an immense record.

 

[Dare]

He became a permanent figure in the team in 2002, so that's a run of 6 years in the team. In which time he averaged 45 with 9 hundreds at a strike rate of 80. If that's not good enough to get him in the side alongside Tendulkar, then I don't know what is. Dhoni may not be a great of the game, but nor is Lance Kluesenar. The fact is, there has never been a better Wicket-keeper down the order than MS Dhoni.

The openers are a key position, and you'd want them to score as many runs as possible, and the fact is, Hayden and Tendulkar would score more runs than Tendulkar and Gilchrist. You want the best, and the odd quickfire 70 is not enough to get Gilchrist in the team. If that's all you need to get into a World XI, then sign Shahid Afridi and Sanath Jayasuriya up!

Bah don't compare Gilchrist with Afridi!
Gilchrist is by far the best ODI keeper to play the game and one of the best openers too. If I had to go with someone else to partner Tendulkar as a opener I would go with Saeed Anwar and not Hayden.

Also, Pietersen's a legend. I was always going to include him in my side, just helps that he's got an immense record.

umm no, Pietersen is not a legend. Lara, Tendulkar, Ponting are legends. KP has a long way to go before he gets that status, you just throw him in there because your his #1 fan.

 

[ali_ed2001]

^^exactly..KP probably hasn't even played half the games that Lara and Tendulkar have, but he's KP, he's got to be a legend....I think some people here are thinking of this as modern day XI, instead of All time XI. KP is definitely a modern day great in ODI's, but should not be included in an All time ODI XI list ahead of Lara.

 

[Dare]

^^exactly..KP probably hasn't even played half the games that Lara and Tendulkar have, but he's KP, he's got to be a legend....I think some people here are thinking of this as modern day XI, instead of All time XI. KP is definitely a modern day great in ODI's, but should not be included in an All time ODI XI list ahead of Lara.

Tendulkar played 422 ODIs so far, Lara 299, Ponting 310 and than you have KP with 87 and people want to consider him a ODI great and a legend.

I guess if I did the same thing with Mendis and put him ahead of Murli, Warne and Saqlain it would be OK.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

KP's played less than a Quarter of the games Sachin has!


And don't be dissing Jaya Shravi He's a legend of the game, he introduced pinch-hitting at the top of the order. He has over 400 ODIs and is still one of his country's best batsmen at the age of 40. He face the likes of Wasim, Waqar, Donald, Pollock, McGrath, Bond, Gough, Akthar, Lee, Zaheer and Srinath() at their peak, and bashed them all. He's a bonafide ODI legend.

 

[Cricketman]

Hey hey hey, Srinath is amazing

 

[shravi]

KP's played less than a Quarter of the games Sachin has!


And don't be dissing Jaya Shravi He's a legend of the game, he introduced pinch-hitting at the top of the order. He has over 400 ODIs and is still one of his country's best batsmen at the age of 40. He face the likes of Wasim, Waqar, Donald, Pollock, McGrath, Bond, Gough, Akthar, Lee, Zaheer and Srinath() at their peak, and bashed them all. He's a bonafide ODI legend.

Not denying he's a legend because he revolutionised pinch-hitting but he's still not good enough to slip in ahead of the names I mentioned. His record simply isn't good enough.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Again, his record is poor cause he has faced a lot of the best bowlers of the last 2 decades, and has still come off on top. He'd be a lot better if he played only on flat pitches consistently facing the likes of Powell, Sami, Nehra, etc.