Some Fun Cricket XIs

ddrap14

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Copied from General Cricket Discussion; if you've seen this first post before, it was there

For a little bit of fun, and in the Aislabiean tradition, I'm going to try and put together all-time squads with all players sharing the same first letter of a surname. I'll be picking with all formats in mind, but I'd say that Test and ODI stats have factored into my decision more than T20 records, where all three are available.

A
1. :eng: :bat: Michael Atherton (C) - In the absence of another noted AND clean captain, Atherton will be the skipper for the A's. I don't particularly rate him as a leader, but he's a solid batsman who'll open things up.
2. :eng: :bat: Dennis Amiss - The dashing Amiss scored the first century in ODI World Cup history. That was at three, but with that place obviously filled elsewhere in this side he'll open up and look for a fast start.
3. :saf: :bat: Hashim Amla - While everyone who makes this team is/was a great player, Amla's probably the best of the batsmen. An underratedly key part of South Africa's success in years past.
4. :ind: :bat: Mohammad Azharuddin - Not captain here due to a match-fixing scandal. Azharuddin's value as a batsman, though, sees him remain in the lineup. Perhaps more noted at 5, but in absence of good options above him, moves up here.
5. :ind: :ar: Mohinder Amarnath - It certainly surprises me that Amarnath has a Test average of over 40. He brings all-round skills, character, and determination to the squad - never more shown than in the 1983 World Cup final.
6. :aus: :ar: Warwick Armstrong - The Beau Webster of his time (except unironically good), Armstrong could bowl pace, spin, and hit the ball a long way often. He will likely bowl pace on all but the most spin-friendly wickets.
7. :eng: :wkb: Les Ames - A WK-batsman before his time, Ames averaged 40 with the bat (before the 1990s heralded a change in tactics, only two others did so with the gloves) and didn't lose any value behind the stumps.
8. :ind: :ar: Ravichandran Ashwin - An elite spinner, Ashwin also helps lengthen the tail with his strong bat for a bowler. Like all three other starting bowlers, he's an obvious selection.
9. :pak: :bwl: Abdul Qadir - Unlike every team Abdul Qadir actually played for, he's second spinner here. He bowls the opposite style to Ashwin, so he helps balance the attack too.
10. :wi: :bwl: Courtney Ambrose - A properly destructive bowler at his peak, Ambrose will take the new ball in this XI. Will definitely be the strike bowler here.
11. :eng: :bwl: James Anderson - Jimmy's skill, on the other hand, will be swinging the new ball and then bowling long, consistent spells later in an innings (especially in Tests). Almost never gets hurt too.

Bench:
:sri: :bat: Marvin Atapattu - backup for all batting positions
:pak: :bat: Azhar Ali - dependable and fairly endurant, could come in for Armstrong if another bat is needed
:wi: :wkb: Jimmy Adams - a downgrade on Ames with bat and gloves, but the next best WK available
:eng: :ar: Moeen Ali - Ali figures to play a bigger role in LO matches, where he can open or finish, but can also fill in if Ashwin gets hurt
:pak: :ar: Abdul Razzaq - one of two very confusing names in this squad. He can extend the batting order and bowl good solid pace, especially on a seaming deck, where he probably replaces Qadir.
:ban: :bwl: Abdur Razzak - these definitely confused me when I first started learning about cricketers at 5 years old. Razzak's a spin option for LO only, given his abysmal Test record.
:aus: :bwl: Terry Alderman - a backup pace option.
 

ddrap14

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B-Team up next!

1. :aus: :bat: Sid Barnes - an absolute wild child in an era that wasn't really acceptable, but boy did he have talent. Averaged 60+ in Tests as part of a dominating Test top order, including the Invincibles.
2. :aus: :bat: David Boon - keeps a couple of technically better batsmen out, because a) he can open and b) he's the best glue guy available. Averaged over 40, and was always tricky to dismiss. Would be a dynamic opening partnership off the field, too.
3. :aus: :bat: Don Bradman - obvious.
4. :pak: :bat: Babar Azam - the Pakistani captain would probably fit anywhere in the top order, but I think he's best suited to 3 or 4 - and with the Don in the team, to four he goes. He's one of the best batsmen of his era.
5. :aus: :ar: Allan Border (c) - A truly brave player. Led some true underdogs to titles - not least the 1987 World Cup winners - and was a very good batsman himself who could also bowl a little. There's a reason the Aussie Player of the Year award is named after him.
6. :saf: :wkb: Mark Boucher - The wicketkeeper for this team. Boucher was in the conversation for the second best keeper of his generation - and with Gilly the clear first, that's no slight on him.
7. :eng: :ar: Ian Botham - Beefy is truly one of the best all-rounders in cricket history, being elite individually with both bat and ball. While he did have a bit of a temper sometimes, his brilliance means he's an automatic pick here - best highlighted in Headingley 1981.
8. :aus: :ar: Richie Benaud - To me, Benaud is the best commentator ever. But before then, he was the captain of Australia - before Cummins, the last permanent bowling captain - and an outstanding spinner.
9. :eng: :bwl: Stuart Broad - The one and true NightHawk will lengthen the batting order, but he's not here because of that - he's here because he's a really good pace bowler.
10. :nzf: :bwl: Trent Boult - Lightning pace is something nobody else here brings, and while I had a second option - more on him later - I considered Boult the better option. He and Broad probably take the new ball.
11. :eng: :bwl: Syd Barnes - Not to be confused with this XI's opener, Barnes is a truly one-of-a-kind bowler who could make the ball swing and turn both ways while still bowling medium-fast. Probably actually first change here, if only because he doesn't rely on swing as much as Broad.

Bench:
:eng: :bat: Geoff Boycott - A stone wall who averaged over 40 in Test cricket, kept out by David Boon.
:eng: :bat: Ken Barrington - This middle order dasher doesn't make the team because of Bradman, but could be an option elsewhere when required.
:eng: :wkb: Jonny Bairstow - A better bat than Boucher if you only consider his aggressive self, but much worse with the gloves.
:aus: :ar: Michael Bevan - A premier limited overs player. Can also play a long-form role if needed
:eng: :ar: Trevor Bailey - Stubborn batting and effective bowling suggest he could be a good replacement should Botham or Benaud need a backup.
:ind: :bwl: Bishan Bedi - Comes in for Boult in Indian conditions. An offspinner whose lethality was his economy.
:ind: :bwl: Jasprit Bumrah - A smaller resume and bigger injury impact than Boult keeps a bowler as talented as the Kiwi stuck to the bench.
 

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Would you mind others posting as well or do you want to finish till you reach letter Z? I'd delete this if you say so.

Really wanted to make a T20 XI of modern-day intent merchants.

01. :nzf: :wk: Finn Allen
02. :ind: :bat: Prithvi Shaw
03. :saf: :bat: Rilee Rossouw
04. :ind: :bat: Suryakumar Yadav
05. :eng: :ar: Liam Livingstone
06. :aus: :bat: Tim David
07. :sri: :ar: Wanindu Hasaranga
08. :eng: :bwl: Mark Wood
09. :saf: :bwl: Anrich Nortje
10. :wi: :bwl: Obed McCoy
11. :saf: :bwl: Lungi Ngidi

12th man: :ind: :bwl: Kuldeep Yadav
 

ddrap14

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Next up is C, which has FAR too many batsmen.

1. :eng: :bat: Alastair Cook (C) - Cook's probably the third best batsman in this team, and he was knighted for his contributions to cricket. A quality opener, I think his finest moment was 235 on Boxing Day - although I don't really want to remember it.
2. :sri: :wkb: Dinesh Chandimal - Admittedly, Chandimal isn't on the quality of anyone else in the top six with the bat. But he has the important job of keeping wicket, and is also a more natural opener than others selected.
3. :saf: :bat: Hansie Cronje - A tragic yet incredibly talented player, Cronje led South Africa for much of the 1990s and did so with real aggressive intent most of the time. He won't captain here due to obvious reasons, but bats three.
4. :aus: :bat: Greg Chappell - Chappell was sometimes let down by losing his cool or head, but again, he's an incredibly talented player. Averaging over 50 in Test cricket, he's also a fairly handy bowling option.
5. :wi: :bat: Shivnarine Chanderpaul - Very difficult to get out, Shiv was the premier WI batsman after the retirement of BC Lara. He's a rare elite batsman whose spot was usually 5 or 6, which works well given that there are a ton of 3/4 options for this team.
6. :aus: :bat: Michael Clarke - Clarke drops down to six through zero fault of his own. He's considered an Aussie hero for his batting, part-time bowling and good stint as captain. His three most notable moments all came at Sydney - three wickets to win the game in 2008, his 329* in 2012, and leading an Ashes team to a clean sweep in 2014.
7. :nzf: :ar: Chris Cairns - Cairns probably couldn't make this side as a batsman or bowler, but he does more than enough to make it with both skills considered. His most important role here will probably be with the bat, as he's at #7.
8. :aus: :bwl: Pat Cummins - One of relatively few active players to make a team, it's very hard to consider Cummins a bad pick, especially given that he's good at everything. His bowling is why he's here, but he's also a solid batsman and a good leader.
9. :wi: :bwl: Colin Croft - A bit of a wild bowler, Croft has pace for days (but what WI quick at the turn of the 80s didn't), and it's the speed that gets him here given there are a bevy of medium-fast options for C.
10. :nzf: :bwl: Richard Collinge - And here's one of the medium-fast brigade. The Kiwi's a good bowler who relied on movement more than pace to get wickets. As such, he takes the new ball in this team.
11. :ind: :bwl: Bhagwat Chandrasekhar - Providing the spin in this team is one of a few unpronounceable Indian tweakers in the early 1970s. Chandrasekhar bowled economical legspin, but he won't just hold up an end for this team.

Bench:
:aus: :bat: Bob Cowper - It's harsh to leave a triple-centurion on the bench; Cowper would come in for Chandimal if someone else could keep.
:nzf: :bat: Martin Crowe - One of the Kiwis' best ever batsmen can't crack the lineup either.
:aus: :bat: Ian Chappell - A great cricket mind, Chappelli also has to defer to the bench in favour of his younger brother. That'll make him happy...
:eng: :ar: Paul Collingwood - Collingwood is a good option to replace Cairns on a more bowling-friendly deck, or possibly come in higher if a sixth bowling option is required.
:wi: :ar: Learie Constantine - The finest WI pace bowler probably until the advent of the 1970s - not that he was particularly fast, but he had an incredible amount of variation.
:nzf: :bwl: Ewen Chatfield - Another Kiwi medium-fast bowler, Chatfield was a partner of Richard Hadlee in his later years, compared to Collinge who did so early.
:aus: :bwl: Tibby Cotter - A pre-war stalwart for the Aussies, he was the fastest bowler of his day. Sadly died in WWI at Beersheba.
 

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Chanderpaul shouldn’t be making it into the side ahead of any of those three batters on the bench, especially Crowe.
 

Fenil

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Copied from General Cricket Discussion; if you've seen this first post before, it was there

For a little bit of fun, and in the Aislabiean tradition, I'm going to try and put together all-time squads with all players sharing the same first letter of a surname. I'll be picking with all formats in mind, but I'd say that Test and ODI stats have factored into my decision more than T20 records, where all three are available.

A
1. :eng: :bat: Michael Atherton (C) - In the absence of another noted AND clean captain, Atherton will be the skipper for the A's. I don't particularly rate him as a leader, but he's a solid batsman who'll open things up.
2. :eng: :bat: Dennis Amiss - The dashing Amiss scored the first century in ODI World Cup history. That was at three, but with that place obviously filled elsewhere in this side he'll open up and look for a fast start.
3. :saf: :bat: Hashim Amla - While everyone who makes this team is/was a great player, Amla's probably the best of the batsmen. An underratedly key part of South Africa's success in years past.
4. :ind: :bat: Mohammad Azharuddin - Not captain here due to a match-fixing scandal. Azharuddin's value as a batsman, though, sees him remain in the lineup. Perhaps more noted at 5, but in absence of good options above him, moves up here.
5. :ind: :ar: Mohinder Amarnath - It certainly surprises me that Amarnath has a Test average of over 40. He brings all-round skills, character, and determination to the squad - never more shown than in the 1983 World Cup final.
6. :aus: :ar: Warwick Armstrong - The Beau Webster of his time (except unironically good), Armstrong could bowl pace, spin, and hit the ball a long way often. He will likely bowl pace on all but the most spin-friendly wickets.
7. :eng: :wkb: Les Ames - A WK-batsman before his time, Ames averaged 40 with the bat (before the 1990s heralded a change in tactics, only two others did so with the gloves) and didn't lose any value behind the stumps.
8. :ind: :ar: Ravichandran Ashwin - An elite spinner, Ashwin also helps lengthen the tail with his strong bat for a bowler. Like all three other starting bowlers, he's an obvious selection.
9. :pak: :bwl: Abdul Qadir - Unlike every team Abdul Qadir actually played for, he's second spinner here. He bowls the opposite style to Ashwin, so he helps balance the attack too.
10. :wi: :bwl: Courtney Ambrose - A properly destructive bowler at his peak, Ambrose will take the new ball in this XI. Will definitely be the strike bowler here.
11. :eng: :bwl: James Anderson - Jimmy's skill, on the other hand, will be swinging the new ball and then bowling long, consistent spells later in an innings (especially in Tests). Almost never gets hurt too.

Bench:
:sri: :bat: Marvin Atapattu - backup for all batting positions
:pak: :bat: Azhar Ali - dependable and fairly endurant, could come in for Armstrong if another bat is needed
:wi: :wkb: Jimmy Adams - a downgrade on Ames with bat and gloves, but the next best WK available
:eng: :ar: Moeen Ali - Ali figures to play a bigger role in LO matches, where he can open or finish, but can also fill in if Ashwin gets hurt
:pak: :ar: Abdul Razzaq - one of two very confusing names in this squad. He can extend the batting order and bowl good solid pace, especially on a seaming deck, where he probably replaces Qadir.
:ban: :bwl: Abdur Razzak - these definitely confused me when I first started learning about cricketers at 5 years old. Razzak's a spin option for LO only, given his abysmal Test record.
:aus: :bwl: Terry Alderman - a backup pace option.
I remember back in early 2000s, there was this England team with players having their names starting from the letter A.

Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Anthony McGrath, Alex Wharf, Andrew Strauss et al. That team would be proud of you.
 

Bevab

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Wonder how many Khans and Mohammeds will come up in the 'K' and 'M' series :thinking:

There’s only one mighty Khan who is needed in that side and he bats at five for Mumbai.
 

Fenil

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Chanderpaul shouldn’t be making it into the side ahead of any of those three batters on the bench, especially Crowe.
I would argue the same for Cronje particularly when he isn't leading the side. He, as a player was more know for his exploits (no pun intended) in limited overs cricket. Not having Crowe in the side is criminal. The only way Cronje plays in this XI in my opinion is him being the skipper.
 

Fenil

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Copied from General Cricket Discussion; if you've seen this first post before, it was there

For a little bit of fun, and in the Aislabiean tradition, I'm going to try and put together all-time squads with all players sharing the same first letter of a surname. I'll be picking with all formats in mind, but I'd say that Test and ODI stats have factored into my decision more than T20 records, where all three are available.
Sorry to be a spoil sport but Abdul (Qadir and Razzaq) and Abdur (Razzak) are not surnames, right?
 

Bevab

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I would argue the same for Cronje particularly when he isn't leading the side. He, as a player was more know for his exploits (no pun intended) in limited overs cricket. Not having Crowe in the side is criminal. The only way Cronje plays in this XI in my opinion is him being the skipper.

To be fair @ddrap14 did say that he was factoring in both ODI and test records so I assume this is a lineup inclusive of both formats which is why Chandimal is opening.
 

ddrap14

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Wonder how many Khans and Mohammeds will come up in the 'K' and 'M' series :thinking:
Not many Khans, because of the way Cricinfo's name database works (Younis Khan, for example, is in the Y team), but yeah a lot of Mohammad/Mohammeds.
Sorry to be a spoil sport but Abdul (Qadir and Razzaq) and Abdur (Razzak) are not surnames, right?
Cricinfo lists them with the A's. My head would break if I tried the other way around.

Chanderpaul shouldn’t be making it into the side ahead of any of those three batters on the bench, especially Crowe.
Chanderpaul has a higher Test average than any of the three on the bench, and a higher ODI average than those who played, over more games played than any of them; furthermore, if I remember rightly from the WI sides I watched as a kid, he normally came in at 5. I can see the argument of Crowe over Clarke or Cronje though; I changed my mind a few times on which I preferred.
 

Bevab

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Not many Khans, because of the way Cricinfo's name database works (Younis Khan, for example, is in the Y team), but yeah a lot of Mohammad/Mohammeds.

Cricinfo lists them with the A's. My head would break if I tried the other way around.


Chanderpaul has a higher Test average than any of the three on the bench, and a higher ODI average than those who played, over more games played than any of them; furthermore, if I remember rightly from the WI sides I watched as a kid, he normally came in at 5. I can see the argument of Crowe over Clarke or Cronje though; I changed my mind a few times on which I preferred.

Oh well… might have to hasten that post I wanted to make for a long time on how stats can be misleading at times I suppose.

Chanderpaul’s test average is the perfect storm of him not batting in the top order (for his own selfish reasons despite batting in a weak lineup), feasting on the 2000s and early 2010s roads (he averaged just about 40 till like 2002 which includes fifty tests which is a significant sample size) and batting in a way that rarely ever protected or shepherded the tail (which resulted in the rather high number of not outs and a SR very low). His RPI for instance is 42, only one above Crowe who faced tougher bowling conditions at the least if not arguably better bowlers in a tougher role.

Chanderpaul is one of those who will always be ranked favourably on a statistical exercise but those who watched him did know that he was a selfish batter who could have been a lot more useful to his side in a different role where he would have averaged less and played a bit differently. That he didn’t and chose to continue being who he was is a huge strike against him especially when he did have the skill to do so. His crab technique was one that didn’t appeal to many of the purists either.

I honestly believe Clarke deserves his spot in the side, especially given that he can also bowl. If it were up to me I’d bring Cowper in for a specialist opener role, move Crowe or Chappell to three with the other one at four and have Chandimal at five or six. If Shiv has to be in the side I’d punt him up at three to be a blocker at the least so that his selfishness can be of some value to the side. :p
 

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