All-Time Test XIs

[pcfan123]

I thought it was a general consensus that Marshall was the greatest of the West Indian quicks? Could bowl in all conditions effectively.

I'd for sure have him over Holding.

If this cricinfo XI is selected by votes on the internet then its pretty meaningless.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

it's a panel, it's pretty balanced actually.

Intikhab Alam
Ali Bacher
Ian Chappell
David Frith
Tony Greig
Ramachandra Guha
Gideon Haigh
Clive Lloyd
Duleep Mendis
Peter Roebuck
Ajit Wadekar
John Wright

couple of guys there are known to biased for and against certain teams and nations but they should even out.

how have you managed to get into the awesome brilliance of peep show from the states mark?

 

[pcfan123]

I saw it mentioned on Hulu and some people mentioned it on PC

I can't ever watch American television again. Peep Show has instantly made everything else unfunny.

In fact it blows my mind how some Poms on here can like garbage like 2.5 men and big bang theory after watching British shows like Peep Show. But that is a topic for another thread

 

[King Pietersen]

I thought it was a general consensus that Marshall was the greatest of the West Indian quicks? Could bowl in all conditions effectively.

I'd for sure have him over Holding.

Not sure about that TBH. I rate Marshall very highly, but I'd probably suggest that Andy Roberts was the pick of the Windies quicks, largely due to the fact he was a 1-man show for the large majority of his career. The Marshall/Holding/Garner troop didn't come along until Roberts was in the twilight of his career.

Why is everyone convinced that if they only pick one spinner it will be Warne over Murali?

As for Barry Richards, the man only played 4 Tests, I'm sure he was good but come on. 4 bloody Tests.

If Hughes had been injured after the Saffer series and retired, does that mean he would be in an all time Test XI?

I think its laughable, the requirement should be 20 Tests at least to get on an ALL TIME XI list.

First off, it's not an All-Time Test XI, it's an All-Time XI, and the reason Richards is rated so highly isn't because of how well he performed in those 4 Tests, it's because of what he did all around the world in domestic cricket against some of the best bowlers of all-time. He carved up World Series Cricket towards the end of his career, and pretty much everyone that saw him play rate him as one of the best openers of all-time. He has every right to be up for consideration, he's easily South Africa's greatest Opening Batsman.

 

[sifter132]

Why is everyone convinced that if they only pick one spinner it will be Warne over Murali?.

Warne was one of Wisden's 5 cricketers on the 20th century and then kept going in the 21st taking more wickets. I can't see him falling from the top 5 players ever to out of the final XI.

Murali's certainly got a great case, but when you boil it down their stats against similar opposition (ie. not Bang and Zim) are very similar and given Warne's greater influence on cricket fans it would be hard to drop him. Plus he has better peripheral skills than Murali: better batsman, better fielder because of his slip catching and better captain.

So I think it's safe to assume the Wisden 5 make it in: Hobbs, Bradman, Sobers, Richards and Warne. Warne's the only one who could be trumped by Murali but as I've said, I think it's unlikely.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

lets not turn this into murali v warne. we already know that aussies think warne is better and it gets a bit tiring trying to have arguement about it.

I think cricinfo will pick warne, but I don't think it will necessarily be the right decision.

 

[AkshayS]

The batting will be something like

Hobbs
Bradman
Tendulkar
Richards/Headly

are the certainties in batting.

In bowling I can say Warne and Marshall will be there for sure.

 

[sifter132]

lets not turn this into murali v warne. we already know that aussies think warne is better and it gets a bit tiring trying to have arguement about it.

I think cricinfo will pick warne, but I don't think it will necessarily be the right decision.

Sorry mate, reading it again I realise it sounded a bit pompous. But I'm merely trying to point out that Warne has already been selected by a more comprehensive panel for a more exclusive club, so it seems inevitable he will get the spinners nod again. I feel for Murali - I really do. I rate them both equal as bowlers, but Warne always gets the love, much like some others than always seem to get favoured: Donald always ahead of Pollock, Wasim ahead of Waqar, Ray Lindwall ahead of Alan Davidson, Tendulkar ahead of Lara, every good all-rounder (bar Sobers) ahead of Kallis. It's a shame there has to be a 'loser' in every comparison.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

lets not turn this into murali v warne. we already know that aussies think warne is better and it gets a bit tiring trying to have arguement about it.

I think cricinfo will pick warne, but I don't think it will necessarily be the right decision.

I think Cricinfo would go for Sobers - Warne - Murali - 2 fast bowlers. Sobers bowling swing and pace.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

doubt it zorax, I did think the all-time australian XI was odd for having 2 spinners but they had keith miller. Picking murali and warne almost necessitates picking Imran khan over sobers. were all these players available in real life that might be a difficult call, but there is no way in hell sobers isn't making the team.

Sifter, no arguements with your conclusion mate, it's just when I see a paragraph that contains the words 'murali', 'warne' and then 'bangladesh and zimbabwe' I know where things are going. the wisden cricketers thing was pretty much why I was taking richards for such a dead cert inclusion.

 

[Aoun13]

LOLOLOLOL. Miandad over Tendulkar is the epitome of biased.

Tendulkar is arguably the best batsman since Bradman... the only others that can claim to be in that bracket is Lara, Richards, and maybe Ponting. Miandad wouldn't be in my 5th XI.

HANIF MOHAMMAD over HOBBS! WOW!!

Hanif for me is better then Hobbs, Hobbs played in the era which is unknown to me while Hanif played when India,Westindies,Australia,England were very much at there peak. Pakistan's domestic cricket was very good at that time and then his ability to play long innings is another plus point.
In case of Miandad over Tendulkar, yeah it is biased but again playing against Ambrose,Marshall, Walsh is a tough task and Tendulkar (undoublety best) gets benefits of less dangerous bowlers, different safety measures, batting friendly rules and pitches, so for me Lara,Tendulkar and Miandad are almost equal.

 

[kirksland]

Hanif for me is better then Hobbs

So for arguments sake, and if you are right and everyone else is wrong, is Hanif also better than Hutton, Hayden, Greenidge, Morris, Richards, Boycott, who by the way all have higher averages that Hanif.
And as Javed is concerned only you think he is the equal to Sachin and Brian. He is great, but not on their level, plus his legend may have been helped by his LBW record in Pakistan (2 lbw dismissals at home), and batting on those subcontinet pitches.

 

[Cricketman]

There is no World XI if you don't have two spinners IMO... and they have to be opposite types too. Murali and Warne both walk in for me.

That's the only reason I skipped Sobers, a player who many argue is the greatest the game has seen, for the fast bowling allrounder in Imran. Then I can have a stellar 5 man attack - and a top order that is good enough - to not require Sobers.

Cricketman added 4 Minutes and 8 Seconds later...

Assuming the bowling order is:

Sobers/Imran/Kapil/Botham
Marshall
Warne
Murali

Leaving one spot open, would you go for the left arm swing bowler in Akram or the disciplined McGrath? I personally went for Akram as he provides variation with left arm bowling and is different in comparison to Marshall. McGrath on the other hand is very similar the the West Indian and doesn't provide as much variation to the attack.

 

[King Pietersen]

Roberts and Lillee TBH. Was randomly playing Ashes '09 earlier, and Tony Greig's team is pretty epic. He went with:

Len Hutton
Barry Richards
Sir Don Bradman
Sir Viv Richards
Graeme Pollock
Sir Garfield Sobers
Alan Knott
Shane Warne
Muttiah Muralitharan
Andy Roberts
Dennis Lillee

Pretty sure that's the team he picked anyway. Loving that side TBH. Great bowling attack, 2 spinners, the greatest all-rounder and Barry Richards included. What more could you ask for? Only change I'd make is Hobbs over Hutton, but that's a close one. Still a great side all the same.

 

[kirksland]

YOUR TEAM
OPENERS
Barry Richards
Sir Leonard Hutton
MIDDLE ORDER
Brian Lara
Sachin Tendulkar
Sir Donald Bradman
ALLROUNDERS
Imran Khan
Sir Garry Sobers
WICKETKEEPER
Alan Knott
BOWLERS
Glenn McGrath
Malcolm Marshall
Shane Warne
So thats my vote to cricinfo, really can't loose any directio you went, with Imram didnt need gillys bat, but that was the hardest pick. Old friend of mine conviced me to pick Hutton over Hobbs and I wanted that agressive opener so went with Barry. If I go two spinners then Imran and Knott sits for Gilchrist and Murali.