Draft: Selection: Impossible

[Aislabie]

I think my team needs a spot of batting.


BRIAN LARA

Nobody in modern cricket has made scores as big as Brian Lara, as often as Brian Lara. His three biggest innings - not necessarily his best - were the 375 against England in 1994 to take the Test world record, the 501* against Durham the same year to take the first-class record, and then the 400* against England in 2004 to reclaim the Test record. However, some argue that his maiden century (277 against Australia in 1993) was better than all of them. Lara might well have agreed, because he named his daughter Sydney after it; one hopes her middle names are "Cricket" and "Ground". I could keep listing performances, for there are six Test double hundreds and that 153* that I've not yet mentioned, but I think my reasons for picking Lara here are clear.

1.
2.
3. Brian Lara
4.
5.
6.
7. Bob Taylor
8.
9.
10. Glenn McGrath
11.



@Paranoid Kendroid

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

(hope the one keeping is him)

Vijay Rajindernath
​

Easily the worst pick of the draft so far but I can't make an XI without a wicket-keeper. From ESPNcricinfo - "Rajindernath, who died in Madras on November 22, 1989, aged 61, kept wicket for India in the Third Test against Pakistan at Bombay in 1952-53. He made four stumpings but did not take a catch and was not called upon to bat. It was his only Test match, although in 1950-51 he had represented India in three of the unofficial Tests against LEG Ames's Commonwealth side. That season, he also scored 136 for Bihar against Orissa in the Ranji Trophy, his only century in a career aggregate of 844 runs (average 22.21). He took 34 catches and effected 23 stumpings."

According to this site, he was a legendary stumper and a competent enough batsman (reminds me of a certain Jharkhand player) so he will bat at no. 8 (for now).

No Career Runs XI:
01. Ken Meuleman
08. Vijay Rajindernath
11. Arthur Mold


@pillowprocter is next

 

[pillowprocter]

Another bowler, and another introduction I'd like to credit to Cricinfo's records page

The man with the 48th highest strike rate in a Test innings, 23rd in most runs conceded, and one half of the 45th highest partnership for the 10th wicket in Test history... Mitchell Starc



7. Malcolm Marshall
8. Shane Warne
9. Mitchell Starc

Next is @ddrap14

 

[ddrap14]

Y'all move fast.



Ryan ten Doeschate

Unlike my first two picks, ten Doeschate never played Tests for a reason other than he wasn't considered good enough by selectors* - as a Dutch citizen, he never had the opportunity. With that said, I don't know if I could ask for a much better player to slot into my team here - he's only a handy bowler at FC level, compared to his great limited over results, but he averages 44 at first-class level and 67 at ODI level. Ten Doeschate actually reminds me a lot of Tim Murtagh, who I would have already picked if not for Ireland gaining Test status a year before his retirement.

Ten Doeschate will slot into my middle order, likely at five or six.

@Welwyn

* Clive Rice could have been selected for South Africa's first post-Apartheid Test, but wasn't.

 

[Welwyn]

In five years, this could look like a great pick or an horrific one:

Yashasvi Jaiswal​

BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS THEM XI
1. Barry Richards
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Mike Proctor
9.
10.
11.

@ahmedleo414 up next

 

[Aislabie]

In five years, this could look like a great pick or an horrific one:

Yashasvi Jaiswal​

BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS THEM XI
1. Barry Richards
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Mike Proctor
9.
10.
11.

@ahmedleo414 up next

Well this solves one of my selection dilemmas. I had three openers pencilled in for two spots

 

[Welwyn]

I still have four lol

 

[ahmedleo414]

Thank you to @Aislabie for posting my pick while I was away. My next pick is Frank Mann



Not only a cricket hero but a war hero as well.

My Team so far:

Johnny Douglas
Dave Houghton
Frank Mann

@CerealKiller you're next

 

[Aislabie]

I still have four lol

I mean, I have back-up options, but these are just the three that I shortlisted from the start. I honestly think Jaiswal is going to be the best Test batter in the world for about the next 15 years so he's definitely a good pick

 

[CerealKiller]

Shaun Pollock

CerealKiller's XI
1.
2.
Don Bradman
4.
5.
6.
Imran Khan
Shaun Pollock
9.
10.
11.

@Bigby Wolf

 

[Bigby Wolf]

Bigby Wolf's - Dad Army XI

My next pick is Mishbah-ul-Haq

How can you miss out Misbah in the Dad's army.

Someone who started his career late and played 3+ years after the age of 40 playing 29 tests scoring 2004 runs at an average of 43.56.

@Verified Enigma

 

[Aislabie]

The next pick will be the 50th in the draft. We're going well!

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Abraham Benjamin de Villiers

My next potential pick is in my opinion the most versatile middle order batsman in Test Cricket. He will easily go straight up in most people's bucket list as one of the most complete batsman of this generation. On top of that he can also keep wickets as and when required. He will be slotted at 5 in my team as a specialist batter as of now, where he is at his best and has a staggering average of 60+

de Villiers is a prime example of adjusting the game as per the situation.

Here is a quick contrast between these knocks of his,


Vs such knocks,


Barakadi 11:

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. 
   
4. 
   
5. AB de Villiers
6. 
   
7. 
   
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. 
   
10. Sydney Barnes

@Supreme General for a double pick

 

[Supreme General]

Well in that case, I’ll pick players from very much opposite eras of time and cricket and who missed out for very different reasons. One for just being from the wrong country and is still their greatest ever cricketer and the other because he got good too late and became a cult hero and constant scapegoat for England’s batting woes.

Bart King and Darren ‘Dazza’ Stevens join my team

@Verified Enigma back to you

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Rahul Dravid

I am going to pick The Wall at number 3. I think we all unanimously agree that there is no explanation needed to justify the pick.



Barakadi 11:

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. Rahul Dravid
4. 
   
5. AB de Villiers
6. 
   
7. 
   
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. 
   
10. Sydney Barnes

@Bigby Wolf