The Pre-Twenty20 Draft

[Aislabie]

Overall Pick #62: Vinod Kambli

Profile
As a young batsman, Vinod Kambli's star shone brighter even than that of his schoolmate Sachin Tendulkar, fuelled by some truly remarkable performances. In the Ranji Trophy, the left-hander hit the first ball he ever faced for six. Before turning 22, he had amassed four Test centuries, two of them doubles, and a batting average of 113. He made a slower start in coloured clothing, but really came into his own at the start of 1994, commencing a rich vein of form that would last until the end of 1995. During this time, one particularly headline-grabbing innings in Sharjah saw him take 22 runs from a single Shane Warne over to completely put paid to a fairly considerable run-chase. So what would become of the batsman who had achieved so much so young? Well... not much really. By the time of his 24th birthday, Kambli had only one more ODI hundred left in him, which would come weeks later against Zimbabwe, and had already played his last Test. In the modern era of sports psychologists and support networks, this simply would not have been allowed to happen. Although his ended up being something of a sad story, the world can still be grateful that it got to see a few years of one of India's most gifted ever batsmen in full flight.

Comparable T20 Player
Aesthetically, Kambli's batting resembled a young Yuvraj Singh but in terms of his role, he'd have been used as something of a David Miller.

Finest Performances
In the peak years of his ODI career, Kambli produced innings like a 66-ball 82 against the UAE, that 17-ball 28 against Australia (which included the Warne over), a 22-ball 36 against New Zealand, a 40-ball 58 and a 64-ball 66, both against West Indies. The 66 aside, all of those innings finished with Kambli unbeaten.

Role in the Team
Kambli gets to bat at four, unshackled and free to attack without worrying about critique for losing his wicket.

Aislabie's XI so far:
1. Colin Milburn (Pick #35)
2. Don Bradman (Pick #3)
3. Zaheer Abbas (Pick #12)
4. Vinod Kambli (Pick #62)
5. Leslie Ames (Pick #36)
6. Mike Procter (Pick #27)
7. Percy Fender (Pick #56)
8.
9.
10. Sydney Barnes (Pick #16)
11. Bob Appleyard (Pick #43)

Next pick:
@Bevab

 

[CerealKiller]

I've been uhming and aaahing about my 2nd opener... I keep coming back to the same name. I nearly went for someone else on the grounds they'd do as a 2nd spinner, but there's this other guy... I just have to pick him. If i need to switch one of my last 2 picks for team balance so be it.


ROY FREDERICKS

Before Greenidge and Haynes there was Fredericks and Greenidge.

Fredericks was a stylish, aggressive left-hander. He once held the record for the fastest century in Test cricket, a blistering 71-ball effort at the WACA. He only scored 8 hundreds in his 59 matches, not overly impressive admittedly, but he still averaged 42.49 and passed 50 26 times. Short, blazing innings perfect for T20 was his forte.
He was also a decent fielder, and could bowl some reasonable chinamen. Not exactly a second spinner but he'd nick an over or two - with the plethora of bowling options in my side i'm not sure we'd need more than that.
This gives me two top-class aggressive openers in a left-hand/right-hand combination, Richards and Fredericks should get us off to a decent start more often than not, allowing Jessop, Dexter and D'Oliveira to unleash the big shots.

1. Barry Richards
2. Roy Fredericks
3. Gilbert Jessop
4. Ted Dexter (C)
5. Basil D'Oliveira
6. Lee Irvine (WK)
7. -
8. Franklyn Stephenson
9. -
10. Hedley Verity (VC)
11. Vince van der Bijl

@Aislabie to pick next.

Was torn between him and Lamb, but didn't want to demote Pollock or Trumper from opening, and didn't want Fredericks in the middle order

 

[Bevab]

Aubrey Faulkner

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Reasons for selection:

• If you believed that Kambli and Azharuddin's careers were sad stories for the way it ended, Faulkner's was on an entirely different level. The victim of domestic abuse due to an alcoholic father, Faulkner had his career cut short by World War 1 and contacted malaria which affected him for the rest of his life. He had moved to England before the war as a result of marriage and yet ended up playing only club matches. He was nowhere near as good as he once was after the war and after retirement, started the first cricket school. However, the expenses were too much for him to handle as he charged only modest fees and refused to open a liquor shop due to his childhood trauma. In the end, one of the greatest all-rounders in test history committed suicide after years of melancholia and depression.
• At his peak, Faulkner was an incredible all-rounder equally skilled with bat and ball. He was referred to as the greatest all-rounder of the Golden Era by Wisden and was an integral part of the first South African team to win a series versus England.
• Faulkner possessed an unusual grip and relatively ugly technique that looked poor to the viewer, yet he had numerous shots in his arsenal and was regarded as one of the most solid batsmen of his era. Faulkner was also one of the quicker scorers in test history measured by runs per hour, an aspect of his game that is often overlooked due to him not being easy to watch and the strength of his team which often forced him to play the role of an anchor.
• He had the standard leg break of a wrist spinner and in addition possessed a googly that tricked even the very best batsmen taught to him by Schwartz who learned it from Bernard Bosanquet, the inventor of this delivery. What differentiated him from the other wrist spinners in his side was his ability to bowl a really quick delivery which was mostly full in length. Added to that, he varied the flight of his deliveries regularly to further keep the batsmen guessing. Also, he often opened the bowling which is a valuable skill that would have been very effective in modern day T20s.
• Faulkner's successes arguably did not come against a full strength English side, but there is no doubt that he possessed incredible skill that would have still allowed him to dominate a full strength side too. He wasn't as effective with the ball versus the Golden Era Australian side, but in his defence had to bowl on completely different surfaces compared to the ones he had played before and was successful versus the domestic sides during that tour. Also, he was arguably the best batsman among both teams and it was believed that the increased workload with the bat led to his ineffectiveness with the ball.
• His greatest performance came versus an all conquering Aussie side consisting of Macartney, Bardsley and Gregory. A 39 year old Faulkner blighted by ill health was the best player in McLaren's (who was 50 years old himself) England XI on paper, who were expected to be steamrolled. He took 6 wickets in the first innings to dismiss the Aussies for a score of 174 before compensating for the dreadful first innings team total of just 42 with a magnificent 153 that took his side to a competitive total. Not content with his exploits up until now, Faulkner returned to bowl five overs in the second innings and took two wickets. It was the veteran's last stand, one of the famous tropes in sport history.
• He was a very good fielder in his prime, capable of fielding in the deep, up close and his failing health still did not deter him from being a competent slip fielder. Post-retirement, Faulkner opened the first cricket school as already mentioned and mentored players like Duleepsinhji, Brown and Wright. Despite his unusual technique, he was regarded as an excellent coach who “had analysed every phase of the game and evolved a simple but comprehensive system of teaching it… Having spotted and corrected a weakness, he had the added merit of being able to bowl the appropriate ball again and again until the flaw had been eradicated" according to Peebles.
• His numbers portray the simple story of a player who deserved to be ranked among the greatest test all-rounders cricket has ever known but has been unfortunately forgotten due to his lack of opportunities and continued misfortunes.

Comparable modern T20 player:

In terms of batting technique and style, Faulkner would be most comparable to MS Dhoni who also possessed an unusual technique and defence but was one of the most reliable finishers to ever grace cricket. The obvious comparison in terms of role and context would be Shakib Al Hasan if he possessed the ability to turn the ball both ways, who is also the best batsman and bowler in a relatively weaker international side that hasn't got the opportunities his talent deserves.

Role in the team:

Faulkner's position in my already fluid batting lineup will be heavily reliant on the game situation. He will be an invaluable player in chases due to the resoluteness with which he played and also will be my first choice to be promoted up the order if there is an early loss of two wickets on tricky pitches. If the team has been scoring very quickly and the death overs have arrived, Faulkner can be easily demoted behind the likes of Dev and another player who shall be my last pick, not to mention Lindwall who was a quick scorer himself. With the ball, Faulkner is expected to be the wrist spinner that hunts for wickets and will also be given the new ball without hesitation if one of the opposition openers have a weakness versus spin.

My other pick will be Jim Laker, one of the most miserly and talented finger spinners to have played cricket. Will post his write-up later.

1. E. Weekes
2. S. Anwar
3. C. Hill
4. C. Macartney
5. D. Lindsay
6. A. Faulkner
7. K. Dev
8. R. Lindwall
9.
10. J. Laker
11. J. Garner

@Aislabie your move mate.

 

[Aislabie]

Overall Pick #65: Duncan Spencer
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Profile
24 overs into Glamorgan's chase of 200 runs, Kent throw the ball to their young Australian quick Duncan Spencer. He stands at the end of his mark wearing at least three visible layers that include a heavy woollen sweater, the back of which reads "SPE_CER". He jogs in towards the crease, and as he lets go, the entire ground gasps collectively. "Ooh... well, that's sharp. Not bad for a loosener. Dale [the batsman] knows he's around. It's been dug in short and Dale ducks it almost posthumously." This was the first ball of one of the fastest spells of bowling cricket has ever seen. Certainly it was the fastest Viv Richards had ever seen, and we know this because Sir Viv was playing for Glamorgan, and he told the world as much. At this time, Spencer's workload was a mixture of first-class matches and ten-over spells in England's three List A competitions. Spencer's spine was not equipped to handle bowling hundred mile-an-hour thunderbolts, but if Twenty20 cricket had predated Spencer then he would have been one of the world's highest-paid cricketers without question. Nobody has ever bowled quicker.

Comparable T20 Player
To see the impact of a truly, terrifyingly fast bowler, look at the impact of Shaun Tait. But Spencer was quicker.

Finest Performances
That one ball, out of nowhere, without warning, which would have taken Dale with it if he'd happened to be in the way. That and the yorker that Matt Maynard never had a chance to get anywhere near.

Role in the Team
To bowl fast. One-over spells if that's what's best for his body. Give it everything.

Aislabie's XI so far:
1. Colin Milburn (Pick #35)
2. Don Bradman (Pick #3)
3. Zaheer Abbas (Pick #12)
4. Vinod Kambli (Pick #62)
5. Leslie Ames (Pick #36)
6. Mike Procter (Pick #27)
7. Percy Fender (Pick #56)
8.
9. Duncan Spencer (Pick #65)
10. Sydney Barnes (Pick #16)
11. Bob Appleyard (Pick #43)

Next pick:
@blockerdave

 

[blockerdave]

Wow, very obscure pick - never heard of him. Good gas always works whatever the format.

 

[Bevab]

Pretty ironic that it was a man called Speed who brought his career down.

 

[Aislabie]

Here is the video. Almost certainly the quickest bowler of all time, and such an efficient action.

 

[blockerdave]

Although Jessop was very fast, I also want some extra gas, especially as I had picked a fast bowler in my list long before I realised Jessop could bowl fast too.

GARTH LE ROUX

World Series Cricket was all about the fast bowlers - the West Indies quartet, Lillee, Thomson (eventually), but of course there was also Garth Le Roux. And Garth Le Roux took 17 wickets in his 3 supertests including two 5-fers at an average of 15.88 and a strike rate of 38.1. Impressive... but in the "International Cup" one day matches in WSC he was even better - 17 wickets in 9 games at an average of 13 and a strike rate of 19.8. This against the best players in the world.

Le Roux never played tests, but in the "unofficial" tests of the 80s Rebel Tours he took 59 wickets in 15 matches at 23.27.

Overall in List A cricket he took 378 wickets at 19.97 with an economy rate of 3.71 and a strike rate of 32.2.

He was also a brutal batsman, Sussex would often push him up to number 3 in List A matches, from where he once hit a 24-ball 50. This was one of 9 List-A 50s he got, to go with 26 in first class (he never scored a hundred).

He was fast, aggressive, a bursting with skill. Though he played most of his career outside of the spotlight, when he got the chance the play with the very best he didn't just look the part, he stood out.

1. Barry Richards
2. Roy Fredericks
3. Gilbert Jessop
4. Ted Dexter (C)
5. Basil D'Oliveira
6. Lee Irvine (WK)
7. -
8. Franklyn Stephenson
9. Garth Le Roux
10. Hedley Verity (VC)
11. Vince van der Bijl

your turn @Villain

 

[Bevab]

@blockerdave And one of the famed pinch hitters is gone. Outstanding pick!

 

[blockerdave]

@blockerdave And one of the famed pinch hitters is gone. Outstanding pick!

Yeah i expected him to go before now, and delighted he didn't

 

[Aislabie]

Yeah i expected him to go before now, and delighted he didn't

He might arguably have been a better choice than Spencer based on stats, but the Spencer spell is some of the best cricket footage I've ever watched and I just couldn't not pick him.

Also, the amount of batting and bowling options you have in your team is incredible.

 

[blockerdave]

He might arguably have been a better choice than Spencer based on stats, but the Spencer spell is some of the best cricket footage I've ever watched and I just couldn't not pick him.

Also, the amount of batting and bowling options you have in your team is incredible.

I actually don’t know who to pick as number 7, since I feel I have a lot of options covered already... did Gary Pratt ever play t20 maybe all I need now is a specialist fielder [DOUBLEPOST=1565023177][/DOUBLEPOST]

He might arguably have been a better choice than Spencer based on stats, but the Spencer spell is some of the best cricket footage I've ever watched and I just couldn't not pick him.

Also, the amount of batting and bowling options you have in your team is incredible.

Also - do you have a YouTube link for the spencer spell? I want to watch it!

 

[blockerdave]

Ah - I see you posted it already. Silly me

 

[blockerdave]

Viv batting without a helmet! what a legend.

 

[Aislabie]

Viv batting without a helmet! what a legend.

One of those times where the line between legend and idiot is very fine indeed in my opinion; obviously he came out of it okay, but against pace like that it would have only taken one misjudgement for something truly horrific to happen. That second-ball yorker to Dale was the most incredible for me though - Dale went to drive it, but by the time he got the bat down to where he meant to intercept the ball it was already in Marsh's gloves. Usually that's some sort of hyperbolic exaggeration, but it's actually a (very nearly) factual recount of what happened