All-Time Test XIs

Ben, try reading my posts. I wasn't contesting your selection of Hayden, don't get so defensive about him ffs. He'd be in my Aussie XI if I was to pick one. The purpose of my post was to contest your opinion that Trumper was an inferior player to Langer and Slater. Nothing more, nothing less. Why I needed to read all this nonsense about players smacking 150kph bowlers over their heads, and Hayden dominating Shoaib I don't know. That wasn't contested. What I was contesting was that Slater and Langer are better cricketers than Trumper, when they're not. There should be more than enough material to support this without me having to explain my reasoning.
 
aussie_ben91 said:
I'm sure if you asked Ricky Ponting then he'd say that batting at number 3 isn't much different to Opening.

If it was a real team then I'd probably open with Bradman (he could probably bat anywhere if he wanted) and then bat Ponting at 3. I could also open with either Border or Chappell as they would be used to facing quality fast-bowling against the Windies. Techically, Ponting is better off facing the pace-bowlers with the new ball anyway because his much more effective against pace then he is against spin.

I just thought it would be disrespectful to deny Bradman the spot at number 3.
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The mentality of opening the batting (aswell as the obvious physical difference) leaves it quite clearly different to batting at three for a number of individuals - Rahul Dravid being a notable example, VVS Laxamn another.
 
Ben gave me a good idea so I will make a WI all time XI.

Gordon Greenidge
Desmond Haynes
Viv Richards
Brian Lara
Garfield Sobers
Clive Lloyd *
Clyde Walcott +
Malcolm Marshall
Joel Garner
Curtly Ambrose
Lance Gibbs

A whole load of players that deserved to be in the team and could probably make another all time XI that was just as good.
Let me say that I realize that Walcott is playing out of position but I felt he deserved to be in the team.
I actually had Everton Weekes instead of Lloyd but took him out at the last moment because Lloyd was just too good of a leader, I could have also gone with Frank Worrell who was the first great leader of the WI and deserves the spot just as much as the other 2 I mentioned. I think everyone else deserves to be there in terms of batting. If I didn't choose Walcott as the WK than Jeff Dujon would have been the WK.

As for the bowlers well I felt that these were the best of the best really. I was thinking of not playing Gibbs because Sobers could bowl spin and instead of Gibbs I would have gone with Courtney Walsh. Walsh for me really is the most impressive WI bowler because of the amount of cricket he played, He finished his career with 1807 1st Class wickets at 21.7 a piece and I feel really bad about leaving him out.
Holding, Roberts and Colin Croft are all unlucky to miss out and could make a pace attack as good as any other countries 1st choice.

Feel free to comment and criticize.
 
King Pietersen said:
Ben, try reading my posts. I wasn't contesting your selection of Hayden, don't get so defensive about him ffs. He'd be in my Aussie XI if I was to pick one. The purpose of my post was to contest your opinion that Trumper was an inferior player to Langer and Slater. Nothing more, nothing less. Why I needed to read all this nonsense about players smacking 150kph bowlers over their heads, and Hayden dominating Shoaib I don't know. That wasn't contested. What I was contesting was that Slater and Langer are better cricketers than Trumper, when they're not. There should be more than enough material to support this without me having to explain my reasoning.
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:rolleyes:

Because it proves my theory that allot of things in cricket are overeggerated? Players abilities can be taken out of context and so can the conditions they play in. People from 1899 said a little guy called Albert Trott that was of similar build to Michael Clarke; hit a six that went over the Lord's pavillion - Do you believe this is true?

Interesting how Richie Benuad changed his All-time XI. Took out Jack Hobbs and replaced him with Arthur Morris.
 
BTW, how are you to say these people are lying about Albert Trott hitting one over Lords? You weren't there.
 
Dare said:
Ben gave me a good idea so I will make a WI all time XI.

Gordon Greenidge
Desmond Haynes
Viv Richards
Brian Lara
Garfield Sobers
Clive Lloyd *
Clyde Walcott +
Malcolm Marshall
Joel Garner
Curtly Ambrose
Lance Gibbs

A whole load of players that deserved to be in the team and could probably make another all time XI that was just as good.
Let me say that I realize that Walcott is playing out of position but I felt he deserved to be in the team.
I actually had Everton Weekes instead of Lloyd but took him out at the last moment because Lloyd was just too good of a leader, I could have also gone with Frank Worrell who was the first great leader of the WI and deserves the spot just as much as the other 2 I mentioned. I think everyone else deserves to be there in terms of batting. If I didn't choose Walcott as the WK than Jeff Dujon would have been the WK.

As for the bowlers well I felt that these were the best of the best really. I was thinking of not playing Gibbs because Sobers could bowl spin and instead of Gibbs I would have gone with Courtney Walsh. Walsh for me really is the most impressive WI bowler because of the amount of cricket he played, He finished his career with 1807 1st Class wickets at 21.7 a piece and I feel really bad about leaving him out.
Holding, Roberts and Colin Croft are all unlucky to miss out and could make a pace attack as good as any other countries 1st choice.

Feel free to comment and criticize.
Click to expand...

A very strong XI, it cannot be disputed, the single change I'd suggest is to get Michael Holding in to the side instead of Lance Gibbs. I don't see the need for a spin bowler with a strike rate of 87.7 when you have one of the great fast bowlers sitting on the bench and Sobers waiting in the wings. I do respect your decision though as Gibbs was without a doubt a superb spin bowler. I don't think Walsh would have been the best replacement had you not chosen Gibbs as, although his longevity may be impressive, if we are looking at pure ability when in their prime, Walsh ranks behind a fair few West Indian pace bowlers.
 
I've barely read any of this, but I must say I would definitely not rate Slater above Ponsford or Trumper, not even close.
 
I'll have a go at an all-time England XI:

Jack Hobbs
Herbert Sutcliffe
Wally Hammond
Ken Barrington
Kevin Pietersen
Ian Botham
Andrew Flintoff
Alan Knott
Jim Laker
Fred Trueman
Sydney Barnes

There were so many more players I wanted to include, guys like Len Hutton, Peter May, Dennis Compton, Graeme Gooch, Bob Willis, Jon Snow, Ted Dexter, and Alex Stewart. I'm happy with that side though. Wanted to include Pietersen and Flintoff as they'll go down as modern greats, but the rest pretty much picked themselves tbh. The only position that I really struggled with was the opener alongside Hobbs, could have been Sutcliffe or Hutton but because of Hobbs and Sutcliffe's record together it had to be Sutcliffe. Happy with that side, would give most teams a real run for their money!
 
I am liking that side quite a bit, looks an extremely strong team.
 
I'm unsure with only 1 pure pace bowler. Barnes was a mix of styles, and Freddie/Botham are allrounders, so if they have a good innings with a bat, they might not be up to it with the ball. Hammond would chip in. Not so sure about Barrington, Hutton could have got in over him? And KP is a bit doubtful too, yes.
 
I'll have a go at an Indian All Time Test XI:

1. Virender Sehwag
2. Sunil Gavaskar
3. Rahul Dravid
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Mohammad Azharuddin
6. Vijay Merchant
7. Kapil Dev
8. Farukh Engineer
9. Anil Kumble
10. Mohammad Nissar
11. Amar Singh

Not too happy with that tbh.
 
ZoraxDoom said:
I'm unsure with only 1 pure pace bowler. Barnes was a mix of styles, and Freddie/Botham are allrounders, so if they have a good innings with a bat, they might not be up to it with the ball. Hammond would chip in. Not so sure about Barrington, Hutton could have got in over him? And KP is a bit doubtful too, yes.
Click to expand...

Barrington was one of my assured picks, in the 82 Test Matches he played, he scored 6806 runs at an astonishing average of 58.67, with 20 Test Hundreds. He's truely one of the most under-rated Test Match batsmen of all-time, awesome player.

I considered putting Hutton in at 3, but he played almost every single one of his Test innings opening the batting, so I didn't really see the point of putting a player into the middle order who didn't usually play there when there are so many other class middle order batsmen around.

Fair point about the fast bowlers, but Ian Botham is still England's highest Test match wicket taker so is more than capable of filling in the role as one of the main quicks. Freddie's Mr Dependable as well, even if he makes big runs he'll still run in and bowl as well as anyone in the side, he proved that in the 2005 Ashes. Barnes may have been a mix of styles as well, but on Cricinfo he's classified as a Right Arm Fast Medium, and with his statistics it'll be hard to find anyone better. I'm certain that Trueman, Barnes, Botham, Flintoff and Laker could easily take 20 wickets in a Test Match, it's a fantastic attack from where I'm sitting.
 
King Pietersen said:
I'll have a go at an all-time England XI:

Jack Hobbs
Herbert Sutcliffe
Wally Hammond
Ken Barrington
Kevin Pietersen
Ian Botham
Andrew Flintoff
Alan Knott
Jim Laker
Fred Trueman
Sydney Barnes

There were so many more players I wanted to include, guys like Len Hutton, Peter May, Dennis Compton, Graeme Gooch, Bob Willis, Jon Snow, Ted Dexter, and Alex Stewart. I'm happy with that side though. Wanted to include Pietersen and Flintoff as they'll go down as modern greats, but the rest pretty much picked themselves tbh. The only position that I really struggled with was the opener alongside Hobbs, could have been Sutcliffe or Hutton but because of Hobbs and Sutcliffe's record together it had to be Sutcliffe. Happy with that side, would give most teams a real run for their money!
Click to expand...
Nice team - well done.
 
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