drainpipe32
Chairman of Selectors
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2008
- Online Cricket Games Owned
Finally, the end of a weird but wonderful decade of cricket. During the last ten years we have seen many of the greats of our sport reach their pinnacles, some retiring, some still holding strong. As we enter the next ten years of cricket we need to recognise the true stalwarts of the game.
But it possible to string together the best cricketers of the decade in just one team?
Each team (Tests and ODI's) will be decided by the members of PlanetCricket.
Both teams must possess:
5 batsman
1 all rounder
1 wicketkeeper
1 spinner
3 fast bowlers
Players will be nominated for each category, upon which you must vote.
Test XI
Nominations
Opening Batsman
Virender Sehwag
One of the most explosive openers to play the game Virender Sehwag is famous for taking the attack to the bowlers from the very first ball.
Sehwag made his test debut in November 2001 against South Africa, and made an instant impact with 105 on debut. However he was immediately embroiled in controversy, a one game suspension resulting after excessive appealing in his second test.
He was promoted to the opening spot on the 2002 tour of England, and strong performances there have made him a shoe in at the place. In 2003 Sehwag played one of his finest innings, a blistering 195 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The following year, he struck the first of his two triple centuries.
During his now eight year career Sehwag has achieved plenty. Selection in the World XI to play Australia in 2005 came first. In 2008 he scored the faster triple century in test history, a 278 ball effort against South Africa.
A handy off spinner Sehwag’s value in the Indian team is paramount. Vice captaincy came in 2005, and he has lead the team on a number of occasions. With an average of 50.06 he has been one of the most dominant batsman of the decade, and the tag of being the batsman Tendulkar likens most to himself isn’t one to take lightly.
Career Statistics
Matches: 71
Innings: 122
Runs: 5955
Average: 50.46
Opening Statistics
Matches: 69
Innings: 112
Runs: 5576
Average: 51.63
Matthew Hayden
The big boy from Kingaroy revolutionised cricket when he hit 549 runs at a Bradmanesque 109.8 during the 2000/01 tour of India. His innovation of the sweep shot paved the way for his success, and subsequent permanency in the Australian team followed.
He scored over 1000 runs from 2001-2005, the first man to do so five times. In 2003 he grasped the world record score after bludgeoning 380 in two days, but as it was against the West Indies no one outside Australia got very excited.
The flat track bully Hayden built one of the most successful opening partnerships ever with Justin Langer, to lay the foundation of the Australian teams success.
Hayden was troubled in the 2005 Ashes series, but a century at the Oval revived what appeared to be a dying test career. With four centuries to finish the year Hayden etched his name into cricket’s glory books. Success came even in the twilight of his career, he shone in 2007 as the world’s best batsman and scored three centuries in three tests against India in 2007/08.
Dramatic failures in 2008/09 sadly lead to him being pushed out of the Australian team. But as the leading run scorer in the IPL of 2009 Hayden has shown he’s still got the mojo bowlers feared throughout the decade, and as Australia’s second highest century scorer and veteran of 103 tests, Hayden will continue to excite spectators for a number of years still.
Statistics 2000-2009
Matches: 96
Innings: 172
Runs: 8364
Average: 52.93
Graeme Smith
Justin Langer
Andrew Strauss
But it possible to string together the best cricketers of the decade in just one team?
Each team (Tests and ODI's) will be decided by the members of PlanetCricket.
Both teams must possess:
5 batsman
1 all rounder
1 wicketkeeper
1 spinner
3 fast bowlers
Players will be nominated for each category, upon which you must vote.
Test XI
Nominations
Opening Batsman
Virender Sehwag
One of the most explosive openers to play the game Virender Sehwag is famous for taking the attack to the bowlers from the very first ball.
Sehwag made his test debut in November 2001 against South Africa, and made an instant impact with 105 on debut. However he was immediately embroiled in controversy, a one game suspension resulting after excessive appealing in his second test.
He was promoted to the opening spot on the 2002 tour of England, and strong performances there have made him a shoe in at the place. In 2003 Sehwag played one of his finest innings, a blistering 195 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The following year, he struck the first of his two triple centuries.
During his now eight year career Sehwag has achieved plenty. Selection in the World XI to play Australia in 2005 came first. In 2008 he scored the faster triple century in test history, a 278 ball effort against South Africa.
A handy off spinner Sehwag’s value in the Indian team is paramount. Vice captaincy came in 2005, and he has lead the team on a number of occasions. With an average of 50.06 he has been one of the most dominant batsman of the decade, and the tag of being the batsman Tendulkar likens most to himself isn’t one to take lightly.
Career Statistics
Matches: 71
Innings: 122
Runs: 5955
Average: 50.46
Opening Statistics
Matches: 69
Innings: 112
Runs: 5576
Average: 51.63
Matthew Hayden
The big boy from Kingaroy revolutionised cricket when he hit 549 runs at a Bradmanesque 109.8 during the 2000/01 tour of India. His innovation of the sweep shot paved the way for his success, and subsequent permanency in the Australian team followed.
He scored over 1000 runs from 2001-2005, the first man to do so five times. In 2003 he grasped the world record score after bludgeoning 380 in two days, but as it was against the West Indies no one outside Australia got very excited.
The flat track bully Hayden built one of the most successful opening partnerships ever with Justin Langer, to lay the foundation of the Australian teams success.
Hayden was troubled in the 2005 Ashes series, but a century at the Oval revived what appeared to be a dying test career. With four centuries to finish the year Hayden etched his name into cricket’s glory books. Success came even in the twilight of his career, he shone in 2007 as the world’s best batsman and scored three centuries in three tests against India in 2007/08.
Dramatic failures in 2008/09 sadly lead to him being pushed out of the Australian team. But as the leading run scorer in the IPL of 2009 Hayden has shown he’s still got the mojo bowlers feared throughout the decade, and as Australia’s second highest century scorer and veteran of 103 tests, Hayden will continue to excite spectators for a number of years still.
Statistics 2000-2009
Matches: 96
Innings: 172
Runs: 8364
Average: 52.93
Graeme Smith
Justin Langer
Andrew Strauss
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