Random Country Test Draft -- DONE. Time for comments/discussion

[Dare]

His stats are already better than Donald and he is only 26!

Yes but he has another 30+ tests to go to get to the number that Donald played. Then we will see who has better stats.

Not denying his skills tho.

Dare added 3 Minutes and 4 Seconds later...

Lack of spinner is a bit of a worry as I'm sure they are going to disappear fast.

Looking at the available ones I might go with an all out pace attack.

 

[shravi]

Looking at the available ones I might go with an all out pace attack.

Plenty of good spinners still around, especially from Australia and England who have more than one each.

 

[sifter132]

^Too right. If you like leggies, the Aussies are a gold mine.

And for Donald vs Steyn, Donald has stats a bit better than Steyn outside South Africa. I find Steyn can be a bit loose, Donald gave away far less runs. Obviously Steyn has the better strike rate though - it depends what you like.

Here's my take on the draft anyway as I go through the thread:
Round 1: South Africa
Best player: Zorax - Jacques Kallis
Best value: Dare - Allan Donald
Questionable: King Pietersen - Barry Richards (harsh call maybe but 4 Tests ain't enough for me)

Round 2: Sri Lanka
Best player: Shravi - Muttiah Muralitharan
Best value: Hmarka - Kumar Sangakkara (yeah hard to find value with the Lankans)
Questionable: Zorax - Prasanna Jayawardene (I know the reasons - but he's the worst player of the 7)

Round 3: England
Best player: Cricketman - Jack Hobbs
Best value: Shravi - Sydney Barnes
Questionable: Zorax - Hedley Verity (I think they are plenty of better spinners)

Round 4: West Indies
Best player: King Pietersen - Garfield Sobers
Best value: Cricketman - Brian Lara
Questionable: Dare - Courtney Walsh (played a long time, but never brilliant)

Round 5: New Zealand
Best player: Dare - Richard Hadlee
Best value: King Pietersen - Martin Crowe
Questionable: Zorax - Stewie Dempster (only 2 Test centuries makes him questionable, sounds talented though)

Round 6: India
Best player: Dutchad - Sachin Tendulkar
Best value: Dare - Rahul Dravid
Questionable: Cricketman - Vinoo Mankad (not good enough in either discipline for me)

Round 7: Australia
Best player: Dutchad - Ricky Ponting
Best value: ???
Questionable: ???

 

[Dare]

Just so the draft can get going I am taking Dravid. I am going to work right now so I will add the write up later.

Mention Indian cricket and all you hear is Sachin, Sachin OMG its Sachin but people seem to forget about Rahul Dravid who in my opinion is the 2nd best Indian test batsman after Sunny. Commonly known as "The Wall" Dravid is much more then that, he has all the strokes even the most stylish batsman have and can attack as well as any other batsman. He seems to be the kind of guy who doesn't seem to mind playing 2nd fiddle to Sachin and these days Sehwag and Gambhir. Everyone mentions Laxmans innings against Australia in Kolkata but everyone seems to forget that Dravid played a key innings in that match and without his support Laxman would have never been able to play that great innings. I have no doubt that he could perform batting at #4 and thats where he will fit in for me. He is also a fine slip fielder, he holds the record for most catches by a non wicketkeeper.

1.
2.
3. Wally Hammond
4. Rahul Dravid
5. Mahela Jayawardene
6.
7.
8. Richard Hadlee
9.
10. Allan Donald
11. Courtney Walsh

Dare added 8 Minutes and 16 Seconds later...

Questionable: Dare - Courtney Walsh (played a long time, but never brilliant0

::
Courtney was always brilliant. Being able to bowl for that long and bowl the spells that he did is brilliant

Also even tho Mark might have messed things up a bit I really like his Aussie selection. Chappell was a great batsman and his record against the best side of his time (WI) is amazing.

Dare added 8 Minutes and 5 Seconds later...

Also forgot to mention. Dravid is a best away from home.

 

[Cricketman]

Questionable: Cricketman - Vinoo Mankad (not good enough in either discipline for me)

Let me try and vindicate myself. People must remember that batting was much more difficult in Mankad's time - there were better bowlers, less protection, worse pitches, all that jazz. To average 48 against the new ball is simply phenomenal. He was India's only consistent performer during his career.

An example of his all round achievements is the Lords test of '52. He scored 72 in the first innings, bagged a five for in the second and then came back to bat and scored 184. He was also the key figure in India's very first test win in Madras, where he picked up 8/52 and backed it up with 4/53.

He was India's answer to another, fairly famous, Australian allrounder.

Cricketman added 2 Minutes and 34 Seconds later...

@sifter, how are 'best value' players being picked?

 

[irottev]

Why do we have 3 Aussies named and no Bradman.

 

[Dare]

Why do we have 3 Aussies named and no Bradman.

It was voted/decided that Bradman will be left out. The man is so far ahead that having him in the team is not even fair.

 

[irottev]

Good idea IMO.

 

[Dutch]

There you go dutchad. Hope you actually read it . Took me a while. Apologies for any spelling errors or striking mistakes in grammar or vocabulary. I didn't double check the post.

Read it three times my friend! Excellent stuff, enjoyable to read and intelligent points made. And you are right I will need to pick up some damn good bowlers to balance things but with Botham, Vetorri and Ambrose I am not doing too bad.

I agree with your point about Vetorri but I would rather have him than Warne and miss out on Ponting. Plus the fact that Vetorri can really tie up an end rather than being a penetrative bowler. We have others to do that!
Add to that that Vetorri is a damn good fielder and batsmen I think it is the way to go.

I like your summarizing and I might give it a bash as well some time today.

 

[pcfan123]

Yea thanks to everyone who has summarized the teams so far.

What happens once we have final teams? Cricsim ?

 

[TumTum]

What happens once we have final teams? Cricsim ?

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Vinoo was one of my options for India, with Hazare and Dravid. Even thought about going for Viru with opening.

Really wanted Lillee too (How awesome would Marshall-Lillee-Dev be?). But since he's gone, I'll take...

Keith Miller

One of the greatest allrounders to have played the game. Incredible fast bowler, dashing batsman, outstanding fielder and a brilliant leader and person on and off the field. More than anything, Keith Miller was one of those who played the game knowing there was more to life than cricket. Famous for coining the phrase "I'll tell you what pressure is. Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not", Miller was extraordinarily talented in being able to bowl deviously quick off a 9-pace run, yet at the same time be able to deliver, out of nowhere, a perfect legbreak, or a fiendish bouncer, or a yorker right on target, as was his mood. He was also a fierce hard-hitter, who once walked away from his stumps and let himself to be bowled for a golden duck, after Australia had already amassed 700 in a warmup game.

He was known to be a tough, but fair sportsman throughout his career. As a bowler, he took 170 wickets at 22.97 and a strike rate of 61.5. Batting wise, he averaged 36.97 in Tests, but his wasn't often required in Don's Invincibles. He averaged 48.9 in FC cricket with a highest of 281*, and when batting at 5 for Australia, he averaged 41.97 with 5 of his 7 centuries coming there.

I'd say more, but what hasn't been said about the man?


1.
2.
3. Jacques Kallis
4. Stewie Dempster
5. Keith Miller
6.
7. Kapil Dev
8. Prasanna Jayawardene (+)
9. Malcom Marshall
10. Hedley Verity
11.

I've got two picks in line for my openers. One from WI, one from England (if Dutchy doesn't take him first). Pakistan and Aus will need to supply my last middle order bat and bowler.

 

[Cricketman]

Shane Warne

Warne, to put it simply, is a magician. He can make the ball do things that no one else in the world can do - just ask Mike Gatting. His rip snorting leg-breaks, famed flippers, mysterious googlies, along with sliders, top spinners, the whole kit and kaboodle, make up his repertoire. His amazing control of drift and precision in where to pitch the ball made him even more dangerous. Warne is easily the greatest spinner to have ever graced the game. A whopping 708 career wickets at an average of 25 makes him an easy pick for me in this Australian round.

1. Sir Jack Hobbs (ENG)
2. Vinoo Mankad (IND)
3. Brian Lara (WI)
4.
5.
6. Aravinda De Silva (SL)
7.
8. Shaun Pollock (RSA)
9. Shane Warne (AUS)
10. Shane Bond (NZ)
11.

 

[Dutch]

1. Sir Jack Hobbs (ENG)
2. Vinoo Mankad (IND)
3. Brian Lara (WI)
4.
5.
6. Aravinda De Silva (SL)
7.
8. Shaun Pollock (RSA)
9. Shane Warne (AUS)
10. Shane Bond (NZ)
11.

Nice bowling line-up devloping there. It is amazing how even now Warney is producing such magic. just think about it: that amazing ball to Gatting
('94 was it?) to those wickets last night. Truely amazing.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

a) Warne hasn't bowled his googlies for around a decade now
b) I actually picked Verity thinking I might not have an opportunity to pick Warne. That failed. I then considered going with two spinners, Warne AND Verity...but then went for Miller. Meh