All-Time Test XIs

[AkshayS]

ESPNcricinfo to pick World XI | All-time XIs | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

ESPNcricinfo is set to pick an all-time world Test XI as the conclusion to its 15-month-long exercise of selecting all-time XIs for the leading Test countries.

It was fun to pick. I would compare mine, readers and judge's all time XI.

 

[sifter132]

I submitted mine (Hobbs, Hutton, Bradman, Lara, Tendulkar, Sobers, Gilchrist, Hadlee, Marshall, Warne, McGrath)

I was tempted to go for a Sangakkara, Sobers, Imran, Hadlee as my 5,6,7,8 for something different, but I couldn't pick 3 all-rounders and 3 bowlers...

Also, was disappointed I couldn't pick Ricky Ponting since he didn't make the Aussie all-time XI ahead of Border and Chappell - which is rubbish IMHO.

 

[AkshayS]

I picked:

Hobbs
Gavaskar
Bradman
Tendulkar
Lara
Sobers
Alan Knott(+)
Akram
Marshall
Warne
Murlidharan


Just checked it again and I want to change it a bit.

 

[Symptom_Control]

Nah I think his overrated. Considering the fact that people think that conditions back in Marshall's era were more-then-less bowler friendly and think that batsman back then are better then the batsman of the modern era because of it. And then they come along and say that Marshall is better then McGrath inspite of their initial arguement.

Pollock was pretty sharp back in his hayday; almost matching Allan Donald for pace. His deteriation during the latter half of his career probably cost him in comparison with the all-time greats and was exposed against clinical batsman such as the Greatest Opening Batsman of alltime, Matthew Hayden.

I bet Marshall would have found a way to get Laxman or Dravid out in Kolkata in 2001 :crying

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

Why not? McGrath is better than Akram in my opinion. The statistics back it up as well, despite Akram's reputation for being able to produce 'unplayable' balls, McGrath has a better bowling average, strike rate and economy whilst playing well into the 2000s when batting conditions became friendlier.

murali has all these things over warne though and I reckon more people would find me picking murali over warne a bit controversial. (also. don't mention spinning tracks as rebut to this, australia is far more pace and bounce friendly than pakistan)

 

[TumTum]

Also, was disappointed I couldn't pick Ricky Ponting since he didn't make the Aussie all-time XI ahead of Border and Chappell - which is rubbish IMHO.

It makes me sick seeing KP in that list. They should have either increased the amount of people in the shortlist or actually put some common sense into their picking.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Hobbs
Gavaskar
Bradman
Tendulkar
Headly
Sobers
Alan Knott(+)
Akram
Marshall
Warne (*)
Lillee

 

[shravi]

I couldn't pick my first XI on cricinfo because of their stupid choice combinations. I want 2 openers (Hobbs and Gavaskar), 2 middle order batsmen (Bradman and Tendulkar), 2 all rounders (Sobers and Imran), 1 wicket keeper (Gilchrist) and 4 bowlers (Warne, Lillee, McGrath and Marshall).

 

[Dare]

It sucks that I had to leave out one of my all-rounders and it had to be Imran. I included Viv Richards instead of him.

Hobbs
Gavaskar
Bradman
Viv
Sobers
Gilchrist
Marshall
Ambrose
Murali
McGrath

 

[kirksland]

It makes me sick seeing KP in that list. They should have either increased the amount of people in the shortlist or actually put some common sense into their picking

I fully agree, easy cop out in my opion. I could have come up with a better short list (actually made one in anticipation of this). Ponting, Garner, Compton,Laker, Weekes, S.Waugh ect should have been there.

Also, was disappointed I couldn't pick Ricky Ponting since he didn't make the Aussie all-time XI ahead of Border and Chappell - which is rubbish IMHO

I agree that Ponthing is better than Border, but Chappell?, Dont know, to me they are just about equal, Ponting for longevity and pure quantity of runs and average, Chappell for style and quality of opponents (including packer years), and still maintained similar average.

 

[AkshayS]

Hobbs
Gavaskar
Bradman
Viv
Sobers
Gilchrist
Marshall
Ambrose
Murali
McGrath

that's only 10.

 

[sifter132]

I agree that Ponthing is better than Border, but Chappell?, Dont know, to me they are just about equal, Ponting for longevity and pure quantity of runs and average, Chappell for style and quality of opponents (including packer years), and still maintained similar average.

We had this discussion recently in another thread:
http://www.planetcricket.org/forums...ias-best-batsman-after-don-bradman-69193.html

I'm a Ponting fan, but I can see the case for Chappell. I just think that if Ponting had retired 2-3 years ago, no one would be arguing. Hopefully he does a Tendulkar and gets a second wind after his recent slump because he's had a wonderful career and deserves to be remembered well.

 

[TumTum]

^ Especially considering 3 years ago he was tauted a better Test batsmen than Tendulkar. Opinions can change quickly. I remember it like yesterday when Dilshan was the next Sehwag, Amla the next Dravid, Gambhir trying to break Bradman's record of 6 consecutive centuries, where are they now? It is only after the player has retired that we can reflect on how good he actually was.

 

[Dutchmen]

Herbert Sutcliffe
Jack Hobbs
Sir Donald Bradman (c)
Brain Lara
Clyde Walcott
Sir Garfield Sobers
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Shane Warne
Michael Holding
Bill O'Reilly
Glenn McGrath

 

[Symptom_Control]

Herbert Sutcliffe
Jack Hobbs
Sir Donald Bradman (c)
Brain Lara
Clyde Walcott
Sir Garfield Sobers
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Shane Warne
Michael Holding
Bill O'Reilly
Glenn McGrath

Walcott ahead of Viv Richards, Tendulkar, Graeme Pollock? :crying