Draft: The Lasagne Draft

[El Loco]

Protected Player 8: @El Loco

AB de Villiers

Rejected by: @deleted member / @yash

ODI stats: 9,577 runs @ 53.50 (SR: 101.09, 25 centuries, best 176) in 228 matches
List A stats: 11,123 runs @ 53.47 (SR: n/a, 29 centuries, best 176) in 263 matches

Okay so there's nobody - nobody - who has ever been able to bat like AB de Villiers could on a really good day. He is the most complete attacking batsman there has ever been, and it is a privilege to have watched him do his thing.

Had me on edge there for a hot sec

 

[Yash.]

Its great I could get Zed there.

Although, @deleted member WTF?

 

[Aislabie]

The thing with Ajay Sharma is that if yiu're looking to build yoir side around roles, he's ideal for the dual role of stock spinner and firefighter. I just don't see him as worth protecting when players like Viv Ricjards exist

 

[Aislabie]

Lucky Dip Player 1...

Inzamam ul-Haq

Rejected by: None
Nominated by: @ahmedleo414

ODI stats: 11,739 runs @ 39.52 (10 centuries, best 137*) in 378 matches
List A stats: 13,746 runs @ 38.07 (12 centuries, best 157*) in 458 matches

Now this might sound harsh, but I thought I remembered Inzamam being better than that? That's not to say he's not a valuable player. Compared to some of the garbage that's coming, he's one of the most valuable players in this layer of the draft. A decent man in the anchor role.

And the player goes to... @deleted member

 

[Aislabie]

Lucky Dip Player 2...

Shoaib Akhtar

Rejected by: @Aislabie
Nominated by: @Na Maloom Afraad

ODI stats: 247 wickets @ 24.97 (5 5WI, best 6/16) in 163 matches
List A matches: 338 wickets @ 25.21 (7 5WI, best 6/16) in 221 matches

Well if you're looking for an express pace bowler, it's hard to look past cricket's first 100 mile-an-hour man (and YouTuber) Shoaib Akhtar. He wasn't the most nuanced bowler, but when you're that quick it doesn't matter - nobody wants to face you.

And the player goes to... @El Loco

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

You're welcome @El Loco.

 

[Aislabie]

Lucky Dip Player 3...



Chris Martin

Nominated by: @El Loco
Rejected by: @El Loco

ODI stats: 18 wickets @ 44.66 (best 3/62) in 20 matches
List A stats: 193 wickets @ 29.16 (3 5WI, best 6/24) in 142 matches

The first player to have been "Panesared" (that is to say, nominated and rejected by the same person), he absolutely isn't the last. And he's also far from the worst option here: his international white-ball career was highly mediocre, but he's still a decent stock seamer.

And the player goes to... @CerealKiller

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

Nominated by: @El Loco
Rejected by: @El Loco

 

[Aislabie]

Lucky Dip Player 4...



Viv Richards

Rejected by: @blockerdave
Nominated by: @El Loco

ODI stats: 6,721 runs @ 47.00 (SR: 90.20, 11 centuries, best 189*) and 118 wickets @ 35.83 (2 5WI, best 6/41) in 187 matches. Batting VARP: +168.8%
List A stats: 16,995 runs :@ 41.96 (SR: n/a, 26 centuries, best 189*) and 290 wickets @ 30.59 (3 5WI, best 6/24) in 500 matches

In terms of their value above replacement players, there can be very few who come close to Viv Richards. By scoring his runs at an average of 47 and strike rate of 90, in an era when everyone else was scoring their runs at an average of 25.23 and a strike rate of 62.62 means that Richards was 268.8% as good as the average batsman at the time. That is an abolutely Bradmanesque stat (and also a metric I really need to get around to writing some articles around).

And the player goes to... @Bevab (I'm really jealous)

 

[Aislabie]

Lucky Dip Player 5...



Srinivas Venkataraghavan

Rejected by: @CerealKiller
Nominated by: @CerealKiller
"Panesar" counter: 2

ODI stats: 5 wickets @ 108.40 (best 2/34) in 15 matches
List A stats: 64 wickets @ 35.34 (best 4/31) in 71 matches

Okay so I'm just going to add a "Panesar" counter every time someone Panesars us. This is a most egregious example, but again honestly not the worst player you could get. Although he was almost incapable of taking one-day wickets, Venkat was a respectable stock bowler who would keep the runs down.

And the player goes to... @DalePlaysCricket

 

[Yash.]

Lucky Dip Player 5...

View attachment 230838

Srinivas Venkataraghavan

Rejected by: @CerealKiller
Nominated by: @CerealKiller
"Panesar" counter: 2

ODI stats: 5 wickets @ 108.40 (best 2/34) in 15 matches
List A stats: 64 wickets @ 35.34 (best 4/31) in 71 matches

Okay so I'm just going to add a "Panesar" counter every time someone Panesars us. This is a most egregious example, but again honestly not the worst player you could get. Although he was almost incapable of taking one-day wickets, Venkat was a respectable stock bowler who would keep the runs down.

And the player goes to... @DalePlaysCricket

Didn’t know he was a bad one day player. Wasn’t he the part of the mighty spin quatret of India?

 

[blockerdave]

Oh we’ve all learnt some lessons from the layer cake draft!!

 

[Bevab]

Didn’t know he was a bad one day player. Wasn’t he the part of the mighty spin quatret of India?

He indeed was. Good with the red ball, pretty poor with the white ball.

 

[blockerdave]

He indeed was. Good with the red ball, pretty poor with the white ball.

Was probably still a red ball in his day tbh

 

[Aislabie]

Lucky Dip Player 6...

Michael Bevan

Rejected by: None
Nominated by: Ahmedleo414

ODI stats: 6,912 runs @ 53.58 (6 centuries, best 106*) in 232 matches
List A stats: 15,103 runs @ 57.86 (13 centuries, best 157*) in 427 matches

The original finisher, Michael Bevan was an absolute monster for Australia for a decade in their ODI middle-order. Not exactly the quickest scorer, but a master of playing to the situation that presented itself. Considering that he was a good enough spinner to finish his Test career with a bowling average of under 25, his bowling was strangely underused in one-day cricket.

And the player goes to... @blockerdave (So everyone remembers how Dave was basically immune to the Lucky Dip last time...?)