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

[King Pietersen]

Another awesome pick, man England have produced some class players I'd have liked Barnes for my side, but I knew he'd already be picked by the time my pick came round. My guy has still remained un-picked

 

[Cricketman]

Pfft, Hobbs >>> all English players . I'm fairly certain who you have in mind, Danny boy.

Cricketman added 2 Minutes and 1 Seconds later...

Woah, KP got a huge boost having a first crack at the West Indians! Being slotted in down at 7 might hurt but with the Windies having so many class players I still reckon it'll be a class player.

 

[Dutch]

Okay guys, I am so glad that I am now able to name my favorite cricketer ever.

No doubt, there are many cricketers who might be judged as being "better" than this man, whether as a batsman or a bowler, but as far as I am concerned he is the greatest all-rounder to have played the game and he is someone who proved time and time again that he had that rare, magical quality of being able to produce a moment of magic that could suddenly turn a game whether it was with bat, ball or in the field.

He had a magnificent sense of humor and was probably the first of the modern day cricketers to use his image to great effect.

Of course everybody remembers that magnificent knock in 1981 against the Aussies but he is much, much more than that. I for one used to love the rivalry and camaraderie between this man and Viv Richards.

His wonderful charisma, his obvious talent, his humor but also pride and determination make him an absolute legend. Not only is he a magnificent cricketer, he is a really good bloke to boot. Ladies and gentleman I proudly give you Sir Ian Botham.

 

[pcfan123]

Had to post this sorry, sums up the man

 

[Dutch]

Had to post this sorry, sums up the man

Yeah, beauty! Thats him alright!


But this sums him up too:




I am so in love with this man! (No not in a poofy way! Just in a man to man way, in a "he is my hero" way!))

It reminds me of the joke: what would you do if you came home and found Ian Botham shagging your wife? I'd ask him if he needed anything, put me hand on his arse and push it up and down for him!


1. G C Smith
2. Sanath Jayasuriya
3.
4.
5.
6. I T Botham
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

 

[sifter132]

Haha, yeah, my luck isn't all that good either. Still a lot of very good number 3s out there, so it's all good.

Haha Shravi - had to post a comment. You just got Murali handed to you. I'd say that's a bit of luck. :laugh

And I'm interested to see who KP has targeted here. I can think of a couple of very underrated England players who I might pick if it were me.

 

[shravi]

Haha Shravi - had to post a comment. You just got Murali handed to you. I'd say that's a bit of luck. :laugh

And I'm interested to see who KP has targeted here. I can think of a couple of very underrated England players who I might pick if it were me.

Yeah, that's true. I guess it all worked out in the end .

 

[Cricketman]

Interested who ZD has up his sleeve, the guy is known for his trickery in these drafts.

 

[pcfan123]

Ian Bell probably

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Nah. But funny you mention trickery...

Hedley Verity

Hedley Verity is arguably the greatest spin bowler to have ever played for England. In his time it was said that he was the best bowler in the world, day in and day out.

Those who saw him bowl thought he had one of the purest bowling actions out of anyone to have played the game, but he wasn't exactly a spinner in the classical sense. His average speed was slow-medium to medium, whereas on on poorer wickets he would bowl slower through the air.

Statistically, Verity's FC record was spectacular - 1956 wickets at 14.9, best figures of 10/10, and a strike rate of 43 in a 9 year career cut short by war. In test matches he managed 144 wickets at 24.37 in a 40 test career. But 18 of those came against Bradman's Australia, and over his career he maintained a spectacular economy rate of 1.88, usually being the only English bowler able to control the free-scoring of The Invincibles. Even the Don held Hedley in high regard:

If a touchstone of Verity's greatness be needed, there is D.G. Bradman, the most inexorable scorer of runs that cricket has yet seen, whose Test match average against England stands at 91.42 in 46 innings. I think it was Verity who kept that average under 150. He was one of only three or four bowlers who came to the battle with Bradman on not unequal terms (haud impar congressus!); and Bradman was reported as saying: "I think I know all about Clarrie (Grimmett), but with Hedley I am never sure. You see, there's no breaking point with him."

Hedley was 34 when his career was ended, and died in Italy as a prisoner of war at the age of 38.

His profile on Cricinfo is a great read about the character of the man.



1.
2.
3. Jacques Kallis
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Prasanna Jayawardene (+)
9. Hedley Verity
10.
11.



Good spinners are hard to come by, and I had other picks in mind for Australia, India and Pakistan.

Here's hoping KP doesn't take who I have lined up for WI! I have a feeling he will.

 

[King Pietersen]

George Lohmann

I actually changed my mind at the last minute for this pick. There was someone I had in mind early on, but I thought I'd just have a read of Cricinfo again to see if there were any other options. Lohmann just stood out, and with 112 Test wickets at 10.75 and 1841 FC wickets at 13.73 you can see why. Lohmann was said to be easily the most dangerous of the seam bowlers from the late 1800's. He had incredible control of swing, seam, angle, flight and pace. He bowled at medium-fast in his prime, but was really little more than a medium pacer. If people thought he was devastating in England though, they hadn't seen anything. On the matted pitches of South Africa Lohmann took 35 wickets at 5.80. There are no doubts in my mind that he was an exceptional bowler; and was also said to be a very talented batsman, and fantastic fielder too.

Sir Garfield Sobers

The finest cricketer to come out of the West Indies. A masterful batsman, rated by Don Bradman as the greatest left-hander the world has ever seen. Sobers stood incredibly still at the crease, and like all the great players seemed to have forever to get into the correct position, and more often than not he did. With a Test average of 57.78, 26 centuries and a top score of 365*, there is no doubt that he is one of the great batsmen. What makes Sobers even more special though is his all-round cricketing ability. He was a fine bowler, capable of bowling seam and spin (though he was far more successful bowling seam) and one of the great close fielders the world has ever seen, Sobers is the 'Bradman' of all-rounders.

1. Barry Richards
2.
3.
4.
5. Sir Garfield Sobers
6.
7.
8. Chaminda Vaas
9. George Lohmann
10.
11.

 

[shravi]

Good left field pick with Lohman. As I was telling you earlier, the reason I didn't go for him was because batting averages in general in his time period were much lower. Pitches were absolute minefields so bowlers had somewhat of an advantage. I guess you can't argue with an average of 10 in any era, but that's why I went with Barnes who played when there were much more skillful batsmen around. But hey, if anything, it looks smart since you've done your research. I would have gone with the other pick you had on your mind, or one of the other great fast bowlers England have produced, simply because there is more information on them. BTW KP, you need some PACE in that bowling line up .

As for Sobers, well, he picks himself really.

 

[Dutch]

Nice to see the different teams developing. I am really looking forward to the West Indies pick: just think of all those great names. Unbelievable. How do you pick just one from all those greats???? (I have got one in mind though!)

 

[King Pietersen]

Good left field pick with Lohman. As I was telling you earlier, the reason I didn't go for him was because batting averages in general in his time period were much lower. Pitches were absolute minefields so bowlers had somewhat of an advantage. I guess you can't argue with an average of 10 in any era, but that's why I went with Barnes who played when there were much more skillful batsmen around. But hey, if anything, it looks smart since you've done your research. I would have gone with the other pick you had on your mind, or one of the other great fast bowlers England have produced, simply because there is more information on them. BTW KP, you need some PACE in that bowling line up .

Yeah, batting wasn't at it's best in that era. But there were some fine players that Lohmann would have bowled to in either Test or Domestic Cricket. Guys like Arthur Shrewsbury, W.G. Grace, Alec Bannerman, G Giffen, G Ulyett, W Barnes and AE Stoddart were all fine batsmen. It definitely was an era that favoured bowlers though, that is true.

Agree regarding Pace too. Vaas, Lohmann and Sobers aren't the paciest of bowling attacks that's for sure . I have a few names in mind though.

 

[shravi]

Nice to see the different teams developing. I am really looking forward to the West Indies pick: just think of all those great names. Unbelievable. How do you pick just one from all those greats???? (I have got one in mind though!)

Yep, Darren Powell is at the top of my list too.

I guess we're not going to get any further today. I think it's past bedtime for Zorax in UAE. I don't know the time difference though, so I may be wrong.