All-Time XI

All-Time Test XI:

Jack Hobbs
Len Hutton
Don Bradman
Brian Lara
Viv Richards
+Andy Flower
*Imran Khan
Richard Hadlee
Wasim Akram
Malcom Marshall
Bill O'Reilly

All-Time Test 2nd XI:

Herbert Sutcliffe
Sunil Gavaskar
Greg Chappell
Sachin Tendulkar
*Garry Sobers
Keith Miller
+Adam Gilchrist
Allan Davidson
Curtley Ambrose
Mutttiah Muralitharan
Glenn McGrath
 
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All-Time Test XI:

Jack Hobbs
Len Hutton
Don Bradman
Brian Lara
Viv Richards
+Andy Flower
*Imran Khan
Richard Hadlee
Wasim Akram
Malcom Marshall
Bill O'Reilly

All-Time Test 2nd XI:

Herbert Sutcliffe
Sunil Gavaskar
Greg Chappell
Sachin Tendulkar
*Garry Sobers
Keith Miller
+Adam Gilchrist
Allan Davidson
Joel Garner
Curtley Ambrose
Mutttiah Muralitharan

Good sides, but I disagree that Andy Flower was the world's best wicket keeper batsman of all time. He was not a great wicket keeper and often made errors. Someone like Sangakkara or Gilchrist would be better, you may even want to go with a pure keeper like Ian Healy or someone from a time before that.

Despite my foolish article which I wrote when I was much wordely informed about cricket, Brian Lara does not deserve to be in an All Time Test XI. Sachin Tendulkar in his prime may be a far better option, considering his intense resiliance against top quality bowling and flawless attack when in nick.

I would not have Wasim Akram in there either, I am firmly of the belief that Glenn Mcgrath was a superior bowler and arguably the greatest pace bowler of all time. Having watched both bowl at length, I feel that McGrath had a far greater stranglehold on opening batsmen which is critical for an opening bowler.

I don't have many problems with the Second XI. However, I would have been interested to hypothetically see Big Bird bowl these days, I felt that batsman of his time were simply not used to bowlers of his height and these days, they may play him far better than then. He did not appear to be any quicker than 135kph in any of the clips I have seen him in, of course the eye can be deceptive, but he did not look sharp at all in clips I have seen him in. Perhaps it is the bias of having watched him bowl, but I feel that Allan Donald was a brilliant fast bowler worthy of the All Time Second XI. He was fast, fiery and never had a bad year until his last.
 
Good sides, but I disagree that Andy Flower was the world's best wicket keeper batsman of all time. He was not a great wicket keeper and often made errors. Someone like Sangakkara or Gilchrist would be better, you may even want to go with a pure keeper like Ian Healy or someone from a time before that.

Despite my foolish article which I wrote when I was much wordely informed about cricket, Brian Lara does not deserve to be in an All Time Test XI. Sachin Tendulkar in his prime may be a far better option, considering his intense resiliance against top quality bowling and flawless attack when in nick.

I would not have Wasim Akram in there either, I am firmly of the belief that Glenn Mcgrath was a superior bowler and arguably the greatest pace bowler of all time. Having watched both bowl at length, I feel that McGrath had a far greater stranglehold on opening batsmen which is critical for an opening bowler.

I don't have many problems with the Second XI. However, I would have been interested to hypothetically see Big Bird bowl these days, I felt that batsman of his time were simply not used to bowlers of his height and these days, they may play him far better than then. He did not appear to be any quicker than 135kph in any of the clips I have seen him in, of course the eye can be deceptive, but he did not look sharp at all in clips I have seen him in. Perhaps it is the bias of having watched him bowl, but I feel that Allan Donald was a brilliant fast bowler worthy of the All Time Second XI. He was fast, fiery and never had a bad year until his last.

I agree with you Manee.

Gilchrist was an allrounder personified when he was at his peak averaging 57 with the bat and taking 3-4 dismissels per innings I have him in my 1st Team

Tendulkar was brilliant when he was at his peak and to play test cricket at 16and be successful over that period of time is nothing to ignore.

For bowlers, although Richard Hadlee was a superb bowler and carried the New Zealand attack for them I don't think he can quite get in.

Big bird was excellent, bowling at 140kph at his height would be quite a task to face but its a not quite for him.

Wasim Akram is one I thought of myself because of his ability of reverse swing so he came close and I'm not surpised you selected him.

Sobers is the strange one. Surely the greatest all rounder of all time to most has to be in the side. One of the great batsmen with the highest individual score at one point, someone who bowl fast and swing the ball and also bowl spin and the fact he is good in the field. Very stange.
 
Len Hutton
Jack Hobbs
Don Bradman
Viv Richards
Garfield Sobers *
Everton Weekes
Adam Gilchrist +
Wasim Akram 1
Malcolm Marshall
Muttiah Muralitharan
Glen McGrath 2

Somthing like that for me i guess. Really hard picking these all time 11 with so many good players to choose from.

Some players that i would include in my 11 without a doubt in my mind if i were to replace someone in my current 11.

Openers- Hayden (it was really hard not puting him in my all time 11 because he is so damn good), G.Greenidge, J.Langer

Middel Order- Lara, M.Waugh, Ponting, Tendulkar, Kallis, Dravid, Miandad, S. Gavaskar, Border, Imran Khan, Clive Lloyd

Bowlers- Warne, Ambrose, Walsh, Waqar, Holding, Kumble, Garner, Hadlee, Lielle.
 
Good sides, but I disagree that Andy Flower was the world's best wicket keeper batsman of all time. He was not a great wicket keeper and often made errors. Someone like Sangakkara or Gilchrist would be better, you may even want to go with a pure keeper like Ian Healy or someone from a time before that.

Despite my foolish article which I wrote when I was much wordely informed about cricket, Brian Lara does not deserve to be in an All Time Test XI. Sachin Tendulkar in his prime may be a far better option, considering his intense resiliance against top quality bowling and flawless attack when in nick.

I would not have Wasim Akram in there either, I am firmly of the belief that Glenn Mcgrath was a superior bowler and arguably the greatest pace bowler of all time. Having watched both bowl at length, I feel that McGrath had a far greater stranglehold on opening batsmen which is critical for an opening bowler.

I don't have many problems with the Second XI. However, I would have been interested to hypothetically see Big Bird bowl these days, I felt that batsman of his time were simply not used to bowlers of his height and these days, they may play him far better than then. He did not appear to be any quicker than 135kph in any of the clips I have seen him in, of course the eye can be deceptive, but he did not look sharp at all in clips I have seen him in. Perhaps it is the bias of having watched him bowl, but I feel that Allan Donald was a brilliant fast bowler worthy of the All Time Second XI. He was fast, fiery and never had a bad year until his last.
  • I've swapped Garner with McGrath because he was better.
  • Allan Donald would easily make my top 10 pacers evr but you can't accomodate all greats in 2 all time XIs.
  • If Flower was not an alltime great wicket keeper then also not by any stretch of imagination are Gilchrist & Sangakkara alltime great wicket keepers,yes both of them are better than Flower at keeping but Flower was a much better batsman than both.
  • Wasim is the 4th best bowler ever IMO while McGrath is 5th,so I had to include Wasim there.Another reason to include him was that being left armer,he would give a new dimension to the attack.And because of the same reason I've included Davidson in 2nd XI.

Sobers is the strange one. Surely the greatest all rounder of all time to most has to be in the side. One of the great batsmen with the highest individual score at one point, someone who bowl fast and swing the ball and also bowl spin and the fact he is good in the field. Very stange.
The reason for not including Garry Sobers in the first XI is that I rate Imran Khan & Keith Miller as better allrounders than him.
 
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My AT Test 1st XI

1. B.Richards
2. J.Hobbs
3. D.Bradman (vc)
4. A.Border (*)
5. G.Sobers
6. K.Miller
7. A.Gilchrist (+)
8. R.Hadlee
9. C.Grimmett
10. B.O'Reilly
11. G.McGrath

My AT Test 2nd XI

1. A.Morris
2. L.Hutton
3. V.Richards
4. N.Harvey
5. S.Waugh (vc)
6. Imran Khan
7. R.Benaud (*)
8. D.Tallon (+)
9. R.Lindwall
10. S.Warne
11. D.Lillee

My AT 1st XI for ODI's

1. A.Gilchrist (+)
2. K.Miller
3. D.Bradman (vc)
4. V.Richards
5. G.Sobers
6. M.Bevan
7. S.Waugh (*)
8. Wasim Akram
9. S.Warne
10. C.Grimmett
11. G.McGrath

My AT 2nd XI for ODI's

1. S.Tendulkar
2. M.Hayden
3. R.Ponting (vc)
4. K.Sangakarra (+)
5. C.Macartney
6. M.Hussey
7. Imran Khan (c)
8. R.Lindwall
9. B.O'Reilly
10. J.Garner
11. SF Barnes
 
I would not have Wasim Akram in there either, I am firmly of the belief that Glenn Mcgrath was a superior bowler and arguably the greatest pace bowler of all time. Having watched both bowl at length, I feel that McGrath had a far greater stranglehold on opening batsmen which is critical for an opening bowler.

Snap, Let me read abit more about both players, I'm sure Wasim Akram is better, my heart says that to me. :cool:
 
If Flower was not an alltime great wicket keeper then also not by any stretch of imagination are Gilchrist & Sangakkara alltime great wicket keepers,yes both of them are better than Flower at keeping but Flower was a much better batsman than both.
It all depends on how you would use the keeper as primarily a batsmen who can keep or a keeper who bats. If im honest Gilly and Kumar are both better than Flower. Yes they have played more tests but that is the point they have been able to keep there averages up with Flower, Gilly's around a run lower, Kumar's 5 runs higher and he has only played 9 tests more at this time. Flower is an all time great but not the greatest
 
From what I've seen XI

Phillip Hughes
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Sachin Tendulkar
Jacques Kallis
Kevin Pietersen
Kumar Sangakkara (wk)
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne (c)
Curtly Ambrose
Shane Bond

Prob Best Alltime XI

Sunil Gavaskar
Matthew Hayden
Sir Donald Bradman (c)
Sachin Tendulkar
Sir Vivian Richards
Sir Garfield Sobers
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne
Curtly Ambrose
Glenn McGrath
 
From what I've seen XI

Phillip Hughes
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Sachin Tendulkar
Jacques Kallis
Kevin Pietersen
Kumar Sangakkara (wk)
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne (c)
Curtly Ambrose
Shane Bond

Prob Best Alltime XI

Sunil Gavaskar
Matthew Hayden
Sir Donald Bradman (c)
Sachin Tendulkar
Sir Vivian Richards
Sir Garfield Sobers
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne
Curtly Ambrose
Glenn McGrath

You've never seen Gilchrist and McGrath play?
 
Players I Have seen XI
1. Hayden
2. Sehwag
3. Tendulkar
4. Lara
5. Shiv
6. Gilchrist
7. Pollock
8. Warne
9. McGrath
10. Ambrose
11. Walsh

Again this is from players I have seen.
 
Players I've Seen Live XI:

1. Andrew Strauss *
2. Matthew Hayden
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Kevin Pietersen
6. Jacques Kallis
7. Adam Gilchrist +
8. Shane Warne
9. Allan Donald
10. Curtley Ambrose
11. Glenn McGrath

12. Shaun Pollock

My All-Time XI:

1. Sir Jack Hobbs
2. Barry Richards
3. Sir Don Bradman *
4. George Headley
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Sir Garfield Sobers
7. Adam Gilchrist +
8. Imran Khan
9. Shane Warne
10. Malcolm Marshall
11. Glenn McGrath

12. Keith Miller

Not sure I'm entirely happy with either of my XI's and I'll probably make changes once I remember someone, but they'll do for now. Also, I'm sure I'll get pulled up on it, so my reason for picking Strauss is purely his record. If you take out the 2 'seasons' where things were wrong in his head and he was in massive poor form, his record is stunning. 4110 runs at an average of 48.92 with 17 hundreds and 10 fifties. So he has scored alot of hundreds and has a brilliant conversion rate. As captain he averages 65 as well, he's probably the most under-rated batsman in world cricket right now.
 
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