Best T20 side of pre T20 players

[Jagar]

Something I've often thought about is how the greats of yesteryear would have performed in the T20 format. Haven't really thought too deeply about the reasoning, but here's a side I'd back to beat most T20 sides going around.

1. Dean Jones

2. Viv Richards

3. Donald Bradman
Now, I know the guy only has two sixes in his entire international career, but he played in an era where there really wasn't any reason at all to risk getting caught when you could just hit it along the ground, however: 100 Runs In 3 Overs: Greatest Cricket Innings Ever? | Bradman Foundation

In total, Bradman made 256 including 14 sixes and 29 fours. Midway through the innings Lithgow brought on Bill Black, who had bowled Bradman for 52 in a Kippax XI match at Lithgow in September, 1931.
1st Over 6 6 4 2 4 4 6 1 (33)
2nd Over 6 4 4 6 6 4 6 4 (40)
3rd Over 1 6 6 1 1 4 4 6 (27) & 2 to Wendell Bill.

While I can't really claim that Bradman would've been able to reproduce this feat on a regular basis, I think most would agree it'd be great to have him in a hypothetical side just to see how he'd go.

4. Javed Miandad

5. Garfield Sobers
Like Bradman, never played the limited overs format, but there's evidence (six sixes) that he'd be able to adjust his batting to the format. Also a more than capable bowler.

6. Imran Khan

7. Kapil Dev <Dropped for Denis Lindsay

8. Malcolm Marshall

9. Curtly Ambrose

10. Wasim Akram

11. Jeff Thomson
Admittedly based on his stats Thommo probably shouldn't be in this side, but I think he would have performed better in T20 cricket than he did in Test or one day. Extreme pace is a lot more of a weapon when batsman are trying to score fast.

Thoughts? criticism? your own side?

 

[ethybubs]

1. Gordon Greenidge (214* off 242 in a test, what more do I need to say)
2. Brian Lara (Probably not desired as an opener but an obvious choice as an attacking batsman)
3. Sir Donald Bradman (Greatest batsman of all time by a mile, scoring quickly would be no challenge to a legend such as he.)
4. Sir Vivian Richards (Master Blaster, greatest attacking batsman of all time, it would be ridiculous not to pick him)
5. Les Ames (One of the greatest wicket keeper batsmen in history (Gilchrist is ineligible) probably batting quite high but I would want more attacking batsmen batting down the order and could be moved depending on the situation)
6. Gilbert Jessop (A man tailor made for T20 cricket, the perfect finishing batsman and a strong bowler)
7. Imran Khan (an amazing swing bowler who could bat well enough to be a great allrounder)
8. Wasim Akram (another great swing bowler, perfect for the death, and a capable batsman when required)
9. Bill O'Reilly (Bradman called him the greatest bowler he faced, a man who bowled fast leg spin, perfect for T20 cricket)
10. Dennis Lillee (One of the greatest fast bowlers of all time to lead the bowling attack)
11. Joel Garner (Brilliant one-day bowler whose height made him unplayable, especially his yorker)




Honorable Mentions:

Garry Sobers (just nudged out- somewhat controversially- by Jessop)
Malcolm Marshall (could easily replace Dennis Lillee)
SF Barnes (greatest bowler of all time, just not sure how he would stack up in T20s)
Clarrie Grimmett (Just nudged out by O'Reilly)
Geoffrey Boycott (...or not)

 

[Jagar]

1. Gordon Greenidge (214* off 242 in a test, what more do I need to say)
2. Brian Lara (Probably not desired as an opener but an obvious choice as an attacking batsman)
3. Sir Donald Bradman (Greatest batsman of all time by a mile, scoring quickly would be no challenge to a legend such as he.)
4. Sir Vivian Richards (Master Blaster, greatest attacking batsman of all time, it would be ridiculous not to pick him)
5. Les Ames (One of the greatest wicket keeper batsmen in history (Gilchrist is ineligible) probably batting quite high but I would want more attacking batsmen batting down the order and could be moved depending on the situation)
6. Gilbert Jessop (A man tailor made for T20 cricket, the perfect finishing batsman and a strong bowler)
7. Imran Khan (an amazing swing bowler who could bat well enough to be a great allrounder)
8. Wasim Akram (another great swing bowler, perfect for the death, and a capable batsman when required)
9. Bill O'Reilly (Bradman called him the greatest bowler he faced, a man who bowled fast leg spin, perfect for T20 cricket)
10. Dennis Lillee (One of the greatest fast bowlers of all time to lead the bowling attack)
11. Joel Garner (Brilliant one-day bowler whose height made him unplayable, especially his yorker)




Honorable Mentions:

Garry Sobers (just nudged out- somewhat controversially- by Jessop)
Malcolm Marshall (could easily replace Dennis Lillee)
SF Barnes (greatest bowler of all time, just not sure how he would stack up in T20s)
Clarrie Grimmett (Just nudged out by O'Reilly)
Geoffrey Boycott (...or not)

Bloody hell I forgot to pick a keeper. Guess Sobers would have to keep wicket.

Lance Gibbs test economy rate would bring him into consideration as a spin option.

 

[Aislabie]

Quite a tricky XI to pick, but I'll have a go. Just to be contrary, I'll pick only one player from each country, too.

1) Gilbert Jessop
A big-hitting middle-order batsman, I reckon that he'd be able to apply his talents to getting the side off to a rollocking start at the top of the order. Also a more than capable bowler, so a very valuable utility player. Honourable mentions: Ian Botham, SF Barnes, George Lohmann

2) IL Bula

Best known for an incredibly long name, this 1950s batsman was hard-hitting and talented. Honourable mentions: None from Fiji. From other nations: Dermot Reeve, Herbert Dorning, Hal McGiverin

3) Don Bradman
The greatest batsman there has ever been, capable of astonishing fast scoring when he felt like it. Honourable mentions: Victor Trumper, Simon O'Donnell, Dennis Lillee

4) Viv Richards
Violently aggressive batsman, and the sort of character who would attract headlines - ergo, sponsors. Honourable mentions: Garry Sobers, Lance Gibbs, Joel Garner

5) Dave Houghton
Although not being known as a particularly big hitter, Dave Houghton was a classy and adaptable batsman. He could also 'keep if the side needed extra options, which this one doesn't. Honourable mentions: Duncan Fletcher, John Traicos, Eddo Brandes

6) Imran Khan
Fast bowling, hard-hitting batting and inspirational leadership come together to make Imran one of the first names on my teamsheet. Honourable mentions: Sarfraz Nawaz, Wasim Raja, Zaheer Abbas

7) Bart King

He was a good, aggressive batsman, but he was also the best fast bowler never to play Test cricket. His favourite delivery was a vicious in-swinging yorker. Honourable mentions: George Patterson, John Lester, Rohan Alexander

8) Bapu Nadkarni
A very good all-rounder, able to hold things together in case of collapse, he was also quite possibly the most accurate and consistent left-arm spinner in Test history. The yin to Schwarz's yang. Honourable mentions: Kapil Dev, Eknath Solkar, Erapalli Prasanna

9) Reggie Schwarz
The original mystery spinner (well, almost original) would fare well in any kind of Twenty20 side. Honourable mentions: Barry Richards, Clive Rice, Garth Le Roux

10) Leland Hone
The Irishman who played a lone Test for England, his selection for England came on the back of Lord Harris forgetting to pick a 'keeper. All the same, it was his glovework which was memorable enough to earn him a call-up despite never playing county cricket. Honourable mentions: Tom Horan, Alec O'Riordan, Douglas Goodwin

11) Ewen Chatfield
Best known for being briefly dead on the field of play, Chatfield was a quietly canny bowler who made the most of his limited pace. Honourable mentions: Martin Crowe, Lance Cairns, Adam Parore

I had fun doing that; I might turn it into a pre-IPL article.

 

[blockerdave]

I've gone to pick two sides... one from players not picked by any of you three, and one that would be my "actual" pick:

the blocker exclusives (I've considered your honourable mentions as free to pick)
Barry Richards (just an unbelievable player, good enough to get the side off to a great start or drop anchor and bat through the 20 overs if in trouble)
Robin Smith (still holds the England ODI record of 167* when that was a hell of a score)
George Headley (the black Bradman - nuff said)
Graeme Pollock (test average of nearly 61, a list a average of 50 with a high score of 222*)
Michael Bevan (no reason to think one of the greatest one-day players would be any less successful in t20; his chinamen might come in handy too though we have 5 quality bowlers)
Basil D'oliveira (quite simply, the second greatest cricketer of all time)
Clive Rice (11 List A hundreds at 37.32 and a List A bowling average of 22.64 at economy of 3.95 - a great 3rd seamer and lower order hitter)
Mahes Goonatilleke(my nailed-on pick for wicket keeper, Jack Russell, turns out to have played 2 T20s somehow despite being 40 when the format was invented), so it was Alan Knott or Goonatilleke and I decided to go outside England/Australia/South Africa!! Good enough to score a test 50 opening the batting, he was given a life ban after touring South Africa with Arosa Sri Lanka so doesn't really have great stats but was a quality keeper and decent bat.)
Hedley Verity (the greatest finger spinner bar none, can attack or defend as necessary - 3 test 50s and a first class 100 suggests he'd be a useful lower order player)
Sydney Barnes (surprised @ethybubs missed him out, he played most of his career in league limited overs cricket rather than first class, and his stock ball was a fast leg cutter - test bowling average of 16.43 at an economy rate of 2.36)
Vince van der Bijl (a List A bowling average of 18.06 at an economy rate of 2.73 - as with @ethybubs pick Joel Garner, you simply do not get a guy with that bounce away)

To be honest, I'd fancy that 11 to give any other 11 a game in any format!

honourable mentions: Ian Botham; Asanka Gurusinha; Aubrey Faulkner; Aravinda de Silva* (actually was originally in the 11 then dropped for Headley)

If I was using players you'd picked too, you could probably remove Smith, Pollock and Bevan for Greenidge, Bradman, and Richards, and Bart King might replace Clive Rice as the batting would be plenty strong enough.

 

[War]

Barry Richards
Gordon Greenidge
Viv Richards
Don Bradman
Gary Sobers
Ian Botham
Imran Khan
Alan Knott
Wasim Akram
Hugh Tayfield
Bill O'Reilly

 

[blockerdave]

@ethybubs Brian Charles Lara actually played 3 T20s and is ineligible

 

[ethybubs]

@ethybubs Brian Charles Lara actually played 3 T20s and is ineligible

Then I would bring in Barry Richards. You son of a bitch.

 

[blockerdave]

Then I would bring in Barry Richards. You son of a bitch.

nice!

not sure i can allow Richards...

 

[ethybubs]

Lay off Richards, there's enough pressure on him replacing the 93* genius.

 

[blockerdave]

Lay off Richards, there's enough pressure on him replacing the 93* genius.

more because i already picked him in the belief he was free for selection to give me a unique side... as you made the original mistake i think you should be forced to pick "strike rate of 62 in odi's" Sunil Gavaskar