Draft: Best of the Rest in ODIs - 2010s version

[Bevab]

I'll try to just add my views/thoughts on these lineups instead of trying to be more objective or judgemental as the 2010s were a wild period for ODIs and there are so many right ways to pick a side (alongside wrong ones of course ).

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@Naman7 -

1. Mohammad Shahzad
2. Shane Watson
3. Mohammad Hafeez
4. Faf du Plessis
5. Sean Williams
6. MS Dhoni
7. Andre Russell
8. Asela Gunaratne
9. Graeme Swann
10. Trent Boult
11. Al-Amin Hossain

12th man. Tim Murtagh

What I'm a fan of -

• Watto, Faf and Dhoni are three world class ODI cricketers who'd make it into their country's ATG XIs. Having all three of them in the same XI is a serious show of strength.
  
  
• There are eight bowling options in this side and this is backed up by one of the greatest ODI captains who knows how to make the best use of multiple bowling options to present a force stronger than what may seem possible on paper.
  
  
• Whilst a middle order of 2010s Dhoni and Williams may seem a bit too similar in terms of how passive they can be at times.. having Russell to back them up for firepower is genius and Gunaratne at eight with Swann at nine for batting depth is strong.
  
  
• Al-Amin might be a bit of a meme bowler overall but for a brief period in 2014 he was good. Given that the eligibility criteria is 2010s after all he is a genius pick and the sort of sneaky stuff that I fully endorse.
  
  
• Swann and Boult lead this side with the ball but all of the all-rounders can offer something too. Russell and Watto are both good change bowlers to have while Hafeez and Williams can tie down one end if needed.

What I'm not a fan of -

• Shahzad's presence in the team is a bit of a question mark. He's got a power game to him but Watto can easily match that and arguably very similar in playing style. Shahzad is also a 'boom or bust' type of batter and is also very reliant on boundaries for his runs rather than strike rotation (around 60% of his runs are via boundaries). Whilst Watto's capable of batting with a guy like that (and might even prefer to with a percentage somewhere in the low to mid 50s) the other batters in this side prefer more of strike rotation with only Hafeez being a perfectly balanced soul in there. Might work if you send him out purely to act as a pinch hitter but then again I imagine there are better players for that role too. He's also too unfit to field in most traditional fielding spots and there's no way you give him the gloves when Dhoni's in the side which means he's got to be hid in the field somewhere.
  
  
• Gunaratne feels like a luxury player in this side and usually you want a luxury player to offer a particular strength that is very rarely found elsewhere or a skill that makes them world class in one department (think CdG with his near accurate medium deliveries and brute hitting). Here he offers just an extra batting option at eight without power hitting and with the ball his record against non-Zimbabwean sides isn't great. His style of bowling might be slightly unique given that he has a tendency to switch it up between medium and off spin like Symonds but again it doesn't feel like something you'd ever turn to as a main option barring the most unlikely scenarios.
  
  
• Despite the high number of bowling options... there isn't really a lot of variety between them. Boult's left arm swing feels like the X-factor in this lineup. Swann, Williams and Hafeez may have subtle differences between the way they bowl but at the end of the day they are going to be lined up as finger spinners who rely on economical control by batters. Williams' left arm angle might be the only differentiating factor if you want to get a bunch of right handed settled batters out in the middle overs. This also depends on when the match will be played.. I can see this side getting away with it if there is only one new ball with lenient field restrictions but two new balls and only four outfielders will force even Swanny into errors. Having to rely on the brittle Russell for sheer pace is also a risk given the very important role he has with the bat in this lineup.

Overall this is a very good team with several cricketers I like and I'm fascinated to see how the other sides line up after this.

 

[Bevab]

@ahmedleo414 -

1. Hashim Amla
2. Ed Joyce
3. Steve Smith
4. Mushfiqur Rahim
5. Najibullah Zadran
6. Ravindra Jadeja
7. Shahid Afridi
8. Adil Rashid
9. Tim Southee
10. Lasith Malinga
11. Kemar Roach

12th man. Grant Flower


What I'm a fan of -

• Some very underrated cricketers in here. Amla's a bit unlucky to not come up in convos for ATG openers due to the relative recency of his poor form but he is truly a giant of this format. Smith and Rahim's overall averages take a hit due to their early career when they were completely different players but both have very solid records once they established themselves properly which they did in this decade.
  
  
• Four of the bowlers in this lineup are amongst the list of top fifteen wicket takers in the 2010s. Malinga also happens to be the first on the list by a significant margin. Stretch that to the top thirty wicket takers and you'll have all of the six main bowling options included. That is some serious experience for a team without factoring in the durability of the side.
  
  
• There's also a nice variety of role coverage amongst the bowlers here. Southee and Roach can hunt for wickets up front with Malinga adding a few overs, Rashid can do the same in the middle overs with Jadeja and Afridi offering support as the more economical bowlers. At the death Malinga will be an incredibly tough proposition to score against with Afridi and Rashid both being capable of offering spin support at the death too. Whilst he wasn't as quick as he was in the 2000s and progressively became slower especially in ODIs, Malinga can certainly offer a genuine 140+ option in this side. Even if he doesn't there's always Afridi to step up when needed. Don't forget that Smith can roll his arm over too having bowled in 39 innings in this decade.
  
  
• There is a clear role definition in the middle order for them to act as primarily hitters whilst the top four consolidates. Afridi is perhaps the most destructive one in the side but a latter era Jadeja and Zadran can certainly help him out too with more consistent returns at the cost of some explosiveness. Southee's batting is a meme these days but it's important to remember that we're dealing with Sixer Southee in his prime element during the mid 2010s here. With Rashid at one end he can certainly whack a few balls into orbit which helps for batting depth.
  
  
• There may be a few duds in the field like Malinga and Rahim but overall this is a solid fielding unit with two experts in Jadeja and Afridi.

What I'm not a fan of -

• You would have known that this would be a talking point even before completing that XI but the top four isn't one you'd back on a flat road at all. None of those top four have a SR of 90+ in this decade as a whole and you'd be relying heavily on them batting through and then cashing in which is possible with how consistent they are (all four average 40+ and Amla is a beast at scoring centuries with 26 to his name) but it is a risky approach as we see increasingly with teams that are top heavy struggling to perform well in the absence of a big score (sometimes even in the presence of one). Joyce in particular really hampers this side with his SR in the mid 70s. There is an argument to be made for keeping him back and having Afridi open in a 350+ chase even with the latter's meme worthy record as an opener just because he offers something different.
  
  
• The top heavy nature of the lineup isn't just restricted to the SR.. whilst the middle order will know what job they have to do even before they set out onto the field there is a big task for them in case they are summoned early as these aren't batters you'd back to bat long. Zadran and Jadeja don't have the finishing prowess of an Afridi and they might struggle to keep up with a climbing run rate if the pressure of losing their wicket early is also thrust upon them.
  
  
• This may be more of a nitpick (especially when you consider that the previous side has a worse bowling unit on paper) but there is a tendency for this bowling unit to be simply lined up and taken apart. Southee, Rashid and even the legendary Malinga have had days where they've leaked runs beyond control and you'd pray for them to all not be bad on the same day and hope Jadeja plus Afridi can cover for their lack of economy. A tactically astute captain would help here but I really don't rate Smith's captaincy at all, his period coincided with some of the darkest days in Aussie cricket off the field and on the field their white ball side seemed to play archaic cricket from 10-20 years ago. With Amla and Mushi both having their fair critics on captaincy it might be worth throwing a curveball here and handing the captaincy to Boom Boom Afridi or Malinga.

This feels like a classic side that wants to bowl first, take advantage of the conditions and then chase a target knowing how much they have to score every over with the calculators out. They'd still be favourites on a semi-competitive pitch if batting first but on a flat road you'd have to worry about how far they'd be willing to risk playing aggressively during the first twenty overs knowing the middle order's lack of staying ability and the presence of a conservative Smudge as the skipper.

 

[Fenil]

Hamilton Masakadza seems like a good choice, been the most reliable bat for Zimbabwe for a good part of the decade plus a natural opener so you dont have to change your other players

Good shout! I had him in mind. His attacking style would go well with Imam's resilience but give me a couple of hours before I finalize it.

Where are Benjamin Swirler and The Author when you need them?!

 

[Bevab]

These paragraphs are a lot tougher than I believed they would be.

I'll do the rest of them one by one at a slower pace.

 

[Fenil]

Alright then, after much ratiocination I have went for Soumya Sarkar as he had scored at run a ball with an average of mid 30s and could be a handy medium pacer if required. That means Abdur Razzak has to sit out and who will be replaced by the glue of the then Zimbabwe cricket team - Tatenda Taibu - Apart from his record of 11 half centuries (with a highest score of 98) in just 38 innings during the stipulated period, he is a wonderful keeper and has the ability to bat anywhere in top#4 which gives us a lot of options and can come in should we decide to play Pooran as a specialist batsman.

I will try and post my own reasons for picking the players that I did.

Imam ul Haq
Soumya Sarkar
Michael Clarke
Kevin Pietersen
Yuvraj Singh
Nicholas Pooran
Rahmat Shah
Boyd Rankin
Morne Morkel
Mitchell McClenaghan
Ajantha Mendis

12th man Tatenda Taibu

 

[Neo 7]

I'll try to just add my views/thoughts on these lineups instead of trying to be more objective or judgemental as the 2010s were a wild period for ODIs and there are so many right ways to pick a side (alongside wrong ones of course ).

---

@Naman7 -

1. Mohammad Shahzad
2. Shane Watson
3. Mohammad Hafeez
4. Faf du Plessis
5. Sean Williams
6. MS Dhoni
7. Andre Russell
8. Asela Gunaratne
9. Graeme Swann
10. Trent Boult
11. Al-Amin Hossain

12th man. Tim Murtagh

What I'm a fan of -

• Watto, Faf and Dhoni are three world class ODI cricketers who'd make it into their country's ATG XIs. Having all three of them in the same XI is a serious show of strength.
  
  
• There are eight bowling options in this side and this is backed up by one of the greatest ODI captains who knows how to make the best use of multiple bowling options to present a force stronger than what may seem possible on paper.
  
  
• Whilst a middle order of 2010s Dhoni and Williams may seem a bit too similar in terms of how passive they can be at times.. having Russell to back them up for firepower is genius and Gunaratne at eight with Swann at nine for batting depth is strong.
  
  
• Al-Amin might be a bit of a meme bowler overall but for a brief period in 2014 he was good. Given that the eligibility criteria is 2010s after all he is a genius pick and the sort of sneaky stuff that I fully endorse.
  
  
• Swann and Boult lead this side with the ball but all of the all-rounders can offer something too. Russell and Watto are both good change bowlers to have while Hafeez and Williams can tie down one end if needed.

What I'm not a fan of -

• Shahzad's presence in the team is a bit of a question mark. He's got a power game to him but Watto can easily match that and arguably very similar in playing style. Shahzad is also a 'boom or bust' type of batter and is also very reliant on boundaries for his runs rather than strike rotation (around 60% of his runs are via boundaries). Whilst Watto's capable of batting with a guy like that (and might even prefer to with a percentage somewhere in the low to mid 50s) the other batters in this side prefer more of strike rotation with only Hafeez being a perfectly balanced soul in there. Might work if you send him out purely to act as a pinch hitter but then again I imagine there are better players for that role too. He's also too unfit to field in most traditional fielding spots and there's no way you give him the gloves when Dhoni's in the side which means he's got to be hid in the field somewhere.
  
  
• Gunaratne feels like a luxury player in this side and usually you want a luxury player to offer a particular strength that is very rarely found elsewhere or a skill that makes them world class in one department (think CdG with his near accurate medium deliveries and brute hitting). Here he offers just an extra batting option at eight without power hitting and with the ball his record against non-Zimbabwean sides isn't great. His style of bowling might be slightly unique given that he has a tendency to switch it up between medium and off spin like Symonds but again it doesn't feel like something you'd ever turn to as a main option barring the most unlikely scenarios.
  
  
• Despite the high number of bowling options... there isn't really a lot of variety between them. Boult's left arm swing feels like the X-factor in this lineup. Swann, Williams and Hafeez may have subtle differences between the way they bowl but at the end of the day they are going to be lined up as finger spinners who rely on economical control by batters. Williams' left arm angle might be the only differentiating factor if you want to get a bunch of right handed settled batters out in the middle overs. This also depends on when the match will be played.. I can see this side getting away with it if there is only one new ball with lenient field restrictions but two new balls and only four outfielders will force even Swanny into errors. Having to rely on the brittle Russell for sheer pace is also a risk given the very important role he has with the bat in this lineup.

Overall this is a very good team with several cricketers I like and I'm fascinated to see how the other sides line up after this.

Thank You for giving time to this ...

 

[Bevab]

Alright then, after much ratiocination I have went for Soumya Sarkar as he had scored at run a ball with an average of mid 30s and could be a handy medium pacer if required. That means Abdur Razzak has to sit out and who will be replaced by the glue of the then Zimbabwe cricket team - Tatenda Taibu - Apart from his record of 11 half centuries (with a highest score of 98) in just 38 innings during the stipulated period, he is a wonderful keeper and has the ability to bat anywhere in top#4 which gives us a lot of options and can come in should we decide to play Pooran as a specialist batsman.

I will try and post my own reasons for picking the players that I did.

Imam ul Haq
Soumya Sarkar
Michael Clarke
Kevin Pietersen
Yuvraj Singh
Nicholas Pooran
Rahmat Shah
Boyd Rankin
Morne Morkel
Mitchell McClenaghan
Ajantha Mendis

12th man Tatenda Taibu

Sarkar when he started out was seen as a genuine talent and a modern, dynamic cricketer who would propel Bangladesh forward.

And then he got neutered like the rest of them.

 

[Fenil]

Sarkar when he started out was seen as a genuine talent and a modern, dynamic cricketer who would propel Bangladesh forward.

And then he got neutered like the rest of them.

Agreed. I genuinely thought him and Nasir Hossain would make it big especially in the OD format. At least Sarkar is sticking around it was disheartening to see Nasir's career go down like that.

 

[Fenil]

Also, I have picked up my XI on the basis of potential as well as impact e.g., Mendis was virtually unplayable back in the day. Him and Mitch Mc were two of the fastest bowlers (by innings/matches) to take 50 ODI wickets. Morne was more potent than Steyn in ODIs (I love Steyn but the fact is a fact) and Rankin was spearheading Ireland and provides the variety of extra bounce (apart from Morne) on any surface with his towering 6Ft7inch frame. Yuvraj helped India win the WC where his bowling was on unprecedented level. Pooran was all guns blazing; KP was still scoring runs and Pup was one of the most consistent batsmen until her called it a day. Imam averaged about mid-50s scoring tons after tons. Only weak link could be Rahmat but with people like KP, Yuvi and Pooran around him, I believe his low SR would be compensated for easily.

Add to all this that Taibu was virtually carrying the Zimbabwe batting on his shoulders at this point of time. Its sad for Razzak to miss out because he was the best frontline spinner that Bangladesh had had after Rafique.

 

[Fenil]

My XI (2010-2019):

Imam ul Haq - This bespectacled prodigy hailing from the extended family of the great Inzamam-ul-Haq had a lot of promise to prove and that he did. Filling his uncle's big shoes, Imam hammered whopping 7 hundreds in just 37 innings amassing the runs at an average of 54! He remains the mainstay of Pakistan ODI batting lineup to this day. His strike rate of 80 odd during the last decade might sound a tad of an anchor but with Sarkar at the other hand, the duo makes a perfect opening combination.

Soumya Sarkar - This decade saw an emergence of another swashbuckling opener from Bangladesh who was more aggressive than the senior pro and opening partner, Tamim Iqbal. Seldom reckless, he showed immense promise with consistent scores and giving his team a flying start. His medium pace can be handy too should there be any requirement.

Michael Clarke - With 20 half centuries and 4 centuries to his name in just 76 innings, this World Cup winner from Australia have plenty on offer for the balance of the team. In the decade which saw Clarke's best calendar year records, it is only fitting for him to play the role of a fulcrum in the side. His left arm orthodox can come in handy if there is a dustbowl on offer.

Kevin Pietersen - An anchor in true sense. One of the finest ODI batsmen to ever don an England jersey, his ability to counter attack was second to none. With the skill of dominating the bowlers and also alter his style to play for long hours (his 23 Test centuries are a testament of that), he is one player who virtually carried England middle order for years. His passive and aggressive approach makes him a perfect #4 for us as its a position where a player defines the pace of an innings.

Yuvraj Singh - A decade where the ever so easy on the eye batsman - Yvuraj Singh - reinvented his bowling to spin the World Cup in India's favour. A true fighter both in the field and life , his experience and expertise with both bat and ball along with the form makes him one of the brighter stars of the XI. Also, him along with Pup would make the runs hard to come by for the batting side with their immaculate fielding.

Nicholas Pooran - In a decade marred with the differences between the players and the cricket board, one of the few bright spots was the graduation of Nicholas Pooran into the senior team. Drafted into the side with high hopes, he made an immediate impact scoring runs at an average of 52 but what stood out was that these runs came at a SR of 110+ which is gold for any team to have from their finisher. Him being a keeper also gives us a lot of option for the balance of the team. There is little this man cannot do!

Rahmat Shah: With 16 half centuries and 4 centuries in 69 innings, this is a man of skill and temperament. In a side that lacked steady batsmen early on, he provided the impetus for other batsmen play around him. Though his leg breaks are under-utilized with the likes of Rashid and Mujeeb around in the Afghan team, it definitely provides an extra dimension of variety to the side.

Boyd Rankin: The towering figure of Boyd Rankin had more than just bounce on offer. Not only was he one of the most consistent bowlers from Ireland, he was actually so good that he was picked up by England even to play Test match cricket alongside legends James Anderson and Stuart Broad. One of the few players to have played Test for multiple countries, Boyd is one of a kind with his skill and bounce.

Morne Morkel: Fast, aggressive and mean! A perfect spearhead for any side. While Steyn was the flag bearer of pace bowling in Tests, Morne was one-up on his new ball partner in ODIs with as many as six 4fers and 2 5fers with an economy rate of under 5 in 92 innings no less! With 9 more wickets than Steyn (154 compared to the latter's 145) with an over bowled less, his numbers show just how good he was. Add the searing pace and awkward bounce that he had on display, you have a man that you wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of on the cricket field.

Mitchell McClenaghan: For any side, something apart from the skill is preferred is the variety. This is where Mitch Mc takes the cake. Not only does he have the left arm variety, he also is the joint third fastest man to 50 ODI wickets breaching the mark in just 23 innings. Thats more than 2 wickets an innings!! Cannot ask for anything more from your bowler. With such a wicket taker in the side, it is ensured that the opposition batsmen do not run away and instead, it is only a matter of time before Mitch Mc along with other bowlers in the lineup do their magic.

Ajantha Mendis: The guile, the mystery, the magic! The fastest man to breach the 50 wickets mark (only 19 innings! which still is a record), Mendis was so good when he first burst into the scene that he made a mockery of the famed batting lineups for fun. With his consistent performances, he actually played the lead role ahead of the legendary Muralitharan as a spinner in the limited overs side for his stint. The man with everything on offer - offbreaks, googlies, carrom balls, top spinners you name it and the accuracy that he had makes him a great addition to the side.


12th man Tatenda Taibu: If I remember correctly from having heard on live commentary all those years ago, Tatenda means 'Thank you' in Afrikaan and boy did he lived up to his name? He almost single hindedly carried the Zimbabwean team in the past decade with his resilient batting scoring a staggering 11 half centuries (with a highest score of 98) in just 38 innings during the stipulated period to go alongside his wicket keeping, he is one utility man that we can make use of should we decide to play Pooran as a specialist batsman.

Overall, I find it as well rounded side with promising openers, proven match winners in the middle order, potent allrounders, shwashbuckling finisher and wicket taking bowlers with immense variety. We might not have the biggest of names, but we have a team that can win matches for us against virtually any opposition.