Draft time: World Cup history - ALL FINISHED!!

[sifter132]

I know, i'll try to pick one in the last round... And it you look at stats, Freddie's stats are better than Botham in WC. Better batting avg, better highest score, better bowling avg.... So it is still a better pick than Sir Ian Botham.

Oohh those are fighting words Here's why I like Botham better: More total wickets and slightly more wickets/match. More wickets against good teams, unlike Flintoff who got half of his good hauls against Namibia, Ireland and Kenya. Botham had greater consistency in performance as I outlined in my summary, getting a wicket and being economical in 80-90% of his games. And for non-stat reasons, he's just a better player! So there!

On the subject of finishing, you already have a good finisher Angry: Wasim Akram. He played quite a few lovely World Cup cameos. But he's going to be buried at #9 To be honest though, there aren't really many batsmen who have consistently finished the innings well in World Cups. Yeah sure, guys have done it here and there, but good luck finding someone who has more than a couple of good 'finishes'.

And Akshay, please pick this English opener! He's probably the best English WC player, but no one's had a spot for him. He doesn't deserve to drop all the way to round 11, take him please

 

[riz7khan12]

No, no trading please. What we've picked, we should stay with it. How will we distinguish between the teams though in the end?

could make a mini-league of this maybe?

 

[mohit_dude10]

Yeah that would be fun, league (World cup format) with these teams.

 

[AngryPixel]

I think you're slightly missing the point, Angry. We are not picking players based on their overall records or reputations but their records and reputations WITHIN World Cups.

Well, i was talking about Freddie's WC record. Its better than Botham... You can check stats.

 

[AkshayS]

3 players more to go before I can pick mine, but I don't think my player would go unpicked by those 3 people.

And Akshay, please pick this English opener! He's probably the best English WC player, but no one's had a spot for him. He doesn't deserve to drop all the way to round 11, take him please

I was going to pick Gooch and I thought he won't be available for me. But I think most members have got their openers already, that's why they left him.

Graham Gooch​

​

The best English WC players and the best opener for them. Gooch was always the man to watch out for with his amazing moustache.

He scored a massive 897 runs in 21 WC matches at an average of nearly 45 with 1 century. He made all his runs against top 8 teams of all time and no runs against minnows to boost his average.

Though I wasn't even born in his era, but from what I've heard from cricket oldies and read through articles, he was the master of the sweep shot.
On one such occasion against India in Mumbai in the SF of WC 87, an important match, he was not able to play freely his natural shots and run-rate was dipping. And when he couldn't hit the bowlers, he swept them, he swept them with 110% efficieny. Following it, he got the support from Gatting and Lamb and England were able to post 254 on board, too much for a weak Indian batting lineup.
That innings' will remain one of the best in the history of World Cup.

For the records:

Matches: 21
Runs: 897
Average: 44.85
Highest: 115
100s/50s: 1/8
Wickets: 1
Catches: 3

AkshayS World Cup XI

1.
2. Desmond Haynes (854 runs @37, 12 catches)
3. Graham Gooch (897 runs @45, 3 catches)
4. Dave Houghton (+) (402 runs @33, 10 catches, 2 stumpings)
5. Andrew Symonds (515 runs @103, 5 wkts, 7 catches)
6. Kapil Dev (669 runs @37.16, bat. SR-116, 28 wkts @31, 12 catches)
7. Chris Harris (431 runs @29, 26 wkts @26, 7 catches)
8. Gavin Hamilton ( 228 runs @32.57, 3 wkts, 1 catch)
9.
10. Mutthiah Murlitharan (53 wkts @19, SR-30.4, ER-3.83)
11. Waqar Younis (22 wkts @21, SR-25.4)

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Also write up added for Andrew Symonds and Dave Houghton, I missed them out earlier due to lack of time. But I hope people will go back in their free time and have a look at those.​

 

[sifter132]

Ah yes there he is - good ol' Goochie And I'll go back and read your summaries too mate, thanks for adding them.

Well, i was talking about Freddie's WC record. Its better than Botham... You can check stats.

Well his averages are marginally better I'll give you that. But that doesn't make his record better Otherwise I could argue Rahul Dravid has a better World Cup record than Sachin - his average is higher after all... Actually Abdul Qadir has a higher WC batting average than Sachin Ah anyway, your general premise is right. There's not much between many of these England guys - hard round to pick early in.

And User if you're before on before mohit, you might as well start the South Africa round while you wait for his England pick. Then he can do 2 at once.

 

[AngryPixel]

He was the only player fit for the place.. Other was Gooch who is a opener and i dont really need a opener. I have 3 in my side already.

 

[Gaurav_7]

And User if you're before on before mohit, you might as well start the South Africa round while you wait for his England pick. Then he can do 2 at once.

I'd rather wait for him please. I want to see whom I get in this round and based on that I'll pick for the SA round.

 

[mohit_dude10]

I'm picking Alec Stewart going by the balance of my team. Need a Keeper and with Gilchrist and Sanga already gone, he is the next best Keeper available. He has played some amazing match winning knocks. He is also a floater who can bat at any position which suits the team situation. He has opened for England and also come down the order. Also he has been very athletic keeper for England.

Over-all World Cup Stats:

Mat: 20
Runs: 520
Avg: 32.50
50's: 4


My World Cup XI:

1.Rameez Raja (Runs:349 Avg:58.16)
2.Stephen Fleming (Runs:1075 Avg:35.83)
3.
4.Mahela Jayawardene (Runs:671 Avg:33.55)
5.Alec Stewart (Runs:520 Avg:32.50)
6.Klaas-Jan van Noortwijk (Runs:322 Avg:46)
7.M Odumbe (Runs:452 Avg:30.13 Wkt:18 Avg:31.5)
8.
9.Anil Kumble (Wkt:31 Avg:22.83 ER:4.03)
10.Andy Roberts (Wkt:26 Avg:21.23 ER:3.24)
11.Glenn Mcgrath (Wkt:71 Avg:18.19 ER:3.96)

 

[sifter132]

He's one of the better keeper batsmen you could have mate And you'll get a decent all-rounder in this SA round I imagine...

 

[Gaurav_7]

And, cricinfo is unavailable. Will have to wait guys.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Allan Lamb​

An average of over 50 with a strike rate of about 84 in World Cup matches makes Allan Lamb a very useful batsman in the middle order. He is the second highest run scorer for England in World Cups. Nice to have him at number 5 with Lloyd moving below at number 6.

User2010's World Cup XI

1. Matthew Hayden
2. Sourav Ganguly (c)
3. 3
4. Kumar Sangakkara (wk)
5. Allan Lamb
6. Clive Lloyd
7. 7
8. Heath Streak
9. John Blain
10. Shoaib Akhtar
11. Shane Bond

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Jacques Kallis​

Number 3 is an important position in any team. 'The best player plays at number 3', they say. Jacques Kallis is whom I select to play at that position for my team. Batting average of above 51 along with a decent strike rate of about 75 makes Kallis a perfect batter for this position. He can anchor the innings and change gears when needed.

User2010's World Cup XI

1. Matthew Hayden
2. Sourav Ganguly (c)
3. Jacques Kallis
4. Kumar Sangakkara (wk)
5. Allan Lamb
6. Clive Lloyd
7. 7
8. Heath Streak
9. John Blain
10. Shoaib Akhtar
11. Shane Bond

 

[mohit_dude10]

Lance Klusener

Klusener makes it to my team just because his sheer ability to contribute with both bat and ball. One of the best finishers with the bat and a wicket-taking bowler.

Over-all World Cup Stats:

Mat: 14
Runs: 372
Avg: 124
50's: 3
S/R: 121.17
Wicket's: 22
BBI: 5/21
Avg: 22.13
E/R: 4.82


My World Cup XI:

1.Rameez Raja (Runs:349 Avg:58.16)
2.Stephen Fleming (Runs:1075 Avg:35.83)
3.Mahela Jayawardene (Runs:671 Avg:33.55)
4.
5.Alec Stewart (Runs:520 Avg:32.50)
6.Klaas-Jan van Noortwijk (Runs:322 Avg:46)
7.Lance Klusener (Runs:372 Avg:124 Wkt:22 Avg: 22.13)
8.M Odumbe (Runs:452 Avg:30.13 Wkt:18 Avg:31.5)
9.Anil Kumble (Wkt:31 Avg:22.83 ER:4.03)
10.Andy Roberts (Wkt:26 Avg:21.23 ER:3.24)
11.Glenn Mcgrath (Wkt:71 Avg:18.19 ER:3.96)

 

[Gaurav_7]

Would have really loved to pick him, a brilliant finisher! It was between him and Kallis, went for Kallis thinking I cannot get a better number 3.

 

[mohit_dude10]

Yeah for me it was going to be between these 2 too. Klusener was my first preference,I thought you'd go for him . Anyways you surely need a spinner (spinning A/R) next round.