The Pre-Twenty20 Draft

[blockerdave]

@Aislabie is @Villain late now? can i go?

 

[Aislabie]

@Aislabie is @Villain late now? can i go?

You sure can

 

[blockerdave]

You sure can

Thanks, thought so.

I have a lot of doubt for my last pick... I've got so many batting and bowling options, I don't actually know what to pick! I'm guessing spin is the one area I'm a little light.

Sticking with my multi-talented team, I've gone for someone who offers quite literally a bit of (almost) everything: BERNARD JULIAN

As espn introduce him:

Trinidad's Bernard Julien had a bit of everything: flashing strokeplay, brilliant fielding, lively left-arm seamers from a strange, stiff-legged run; orthodox or unorthodox left-arm spin; and the ability to charm fans and females alike

I think he'd have done pretty good in T20.

I'd want at least one over early of left-arm seam, and the rest might depend on the opposition or the pitch, whether to stick with seam or try the spinners.

He only played 12 ODIs, and didn't get much chance batting, scoring just 86 runs at 14.33. But he could certainly bat, averaging 30.92 in tests with 2 centuries. With the ball he fared better, taking 18 wickets at 25.72 in ODI.

Like Aislabie, I've gone not necessarily for "all time greats" trusting them to adapt, but rather for "proto" T20 players.

I've ended up more by luck than judgment, with a lot of bowling options, as I chose both Jessop and Dexter for explosive batting and then finding out they were actually fine bowlers (and Jessop had real pace), and similar D'Oliveira is in as an awesome, destructive batsman and any overs I get from him are a bonus.

Batting the plan is Richards bats as long as he can, with the others teeing off around him. If Richards goes early, either D'Oliveira or Irvine can go up the order, rein themselves in initially and play the Richards role. Any of the bowlers bar Verity can be shoved up the order to cause mayhem too. Bowling I'm looking for pure gas from Jessop and Le Roux, economy and tough bounce from van der Bijl, and a bit of both from Stephenson as well as his killer slower ball. Verity will look to tie up an end with his spin, throwing in the odd yorker to spice it up. Julien will bowl an early over seam-up, then mix it up as he goes. Dolly and Dexter in reserve in case any one is having an off day.

I'd back this team against most.

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

@Villain @Rebel2k19 you two to go

 

[Aislabie]

Very good team indeed. I fully expected you to pick another spinner and you kinda have. An extremely versatile team but my only hope is that you'd suffer from having probably only seven overs of spin to call on? Also some very tasty batting - Jessop and Dolly were inspired

 

[blockerdave]

Very good team indeed. I fully expected you to pick another spinner and you kinda have. An extremely versatile team but my only hope is that you'd suffer from having probably only seven overs of spin to call on? Also some very tasty batting - Jessop and Dolly were inspired

Thanks, I’m very happy with it.

Both Richards and Fredericks can turn their arm over if absolutely needed - Richards was a decent enough off spinner and Fredericks could bowl chinamen.

Yes I was going to go with a 2nd spinner, had 2 names in mind, but Julien had been in my mind from very early, and decided the left arm plus mixing it up was worth the punt.

 

[Villain]

Sorry for the inconvenience, will make my last pick in a while. Thanks.

 

[Gaurav_7]

01. Gordon Greenidge
02. Kris Srikkanth
03. Viv Richards
04. Javed Miandad
05. Keith Miller
06. Farokh Engineer
07. Richard Hadlee
08. Richie Benaud
09. George Lohmann
10. Courtney Walsh
11. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar

I think I have a fairly balanced XI, a strong T20 batting as well as bowling. Srikkanth to open with Greenidge and Engineer at 6.

 

[Aislabie]

I'm glad Srikkanth went! I was very worried he might miss out

 

[Master Bates]

@Villain only you are remaining for the draft to end!

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

01. Gordon Greenidge
02. Kris Srikkanth
03. Viv Richards
04. Javed Miandad
05. Keith Miller
06. Farokh Engineer
07. Richard Hadlee
08. Richie Benaud
09. George Lohmann
10. Courtney Walsh
11. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar

I think I have a fairly balanced XI, a strong T20 batting as well as bowling. Srikkanth to open with Greenidge and Engineer at 6.

Balanced ?

Infact it is the best line-up that one can have

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

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

Action of Hardik Pandya and bowling like Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah

 

[Villain]

Tich Freeman
Perfect spinner I needed in my team, despite playing only 12 Test matches he still managed to grab 60 wickets - 10w(3) and 5w(5). An outstanding FC career finishing with 3776 wickets at an average of only 18.42 - 10w(140) and 5w(386).

Alfred Percy Freeman, known to the cricket world as "Tich" and one of the greatest slow bowlers the game has known, died at his home at Bearsted, Kent, on January 28 at the age of 76. Though small in stature - he stood only five feet two inches - his achievements were colossal. No county bowler ever achieved quite so consistently hypnotic an effect on opposing batsmen over a comparable period of years, and few were able to lure their opponents to destruction so inexorably under all kinds of conditions, not merely those helpful to the bowler. He was described as a wizard and magician, and expectation was rarely more keenly aroused than when his slight, gnome-like figure began its short run to the crease at the start of a spell. He was never ruffled and never happier than when bowling. His stamina was such that he would not infrequently bowl almost through the innings, whatever its length.

VILLAIN'S TEAM
Sir Jack Hobbs
Steve Waugh
Aravinda De Silva
Mohammad Azharuddin
Wilfred Rhodes
Michael Bevan
Ian Healy
Sir Ian Botham
Craig McDermott
Tich Freeman
Sir Curtly Ambrose

I wanted to go with Dennis Lillee but that'd have left me with only one spin option.​

 

[Aislabie]

Aaaand it's voting time!

As previously, vote for your favourite for the team that you think would be best at Twenty20 cricket.

@Aislabie

1. Colin Milburn
2. Don Bradman
3. Zaheer Abbas
4. Vinod Kambli
5. Les Ames
6. Mike Procter
7. Percy Fender
8. Lance Cairns
9. Duncan Spencer
10. Sydney Barnes
11. Bob Appleyard

Bradman and Zaheer in the top three.
Players selected specifically for Twenty20 skills.
Lack of left-arm bowling options, and some players (like Spencer) who are largely forgotten.

@Bevab

1. Everton Weekes
2. Saeed Anwar
3. Clem Hill
4. Charlie Macartney
5. Denis Lindsay
6. Aubrey Faulkner
7. Kapil Dev
8. Ray Lindwall
9. Maurice Tate
10. Jim Laker
11. Joel Garner

Three of cricket's best-ever all-rounders in Macartney, Faulkner and Kapil.
Extensive and varied bowling attack - three kinds of spin, left- and right-arm seamers..
Arguably lacking on all-time great batsmen.

@blockerdave

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

Every player selected for their Twenty20 skills.
Every bowler can bat and every batsman can bowl.
Only one specialist spinner in the eleven.

@CerealKiller

1. Graeme Pollock
2. Victor Trumper
3. Stan McCabe
4. Allan Lamb
5. Imran Khan
6. Collis King
7. Alan Knott
8. Alan Davidson
9. Malcolm Marshall
10. Abdul Qadir
11. Bill O'Reilly

Generous selection of all-time greats, especially Imran and Marshall.
Eight overs of world-class leg-spin.
Limited options if one of the five main bowlers has an off-day.

@Rebel2k19

1. Gordon Greenidge
2. Kris Srikkanth
3. Viv Richards
4. Javed Miandad
5. Keith Miller
6. Farokh Engineer
7. Richard Hadlee
8. Richie Benaud
9. George Lohmann
10. Courtney Walsh
11. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar

The batting line-up. Still can't believe that one team managed to get Greenidge, Richards and Miandad.
Most of the side has transferable experience of limited-overs cricket.
Richard Hadlee is the only bowler in this team able to turn to outright pace.

@Sinister One

1. Desmond Haynes
2. Vijay Merchant
3. Denis Compton
4. Dudley Nourse
5. Clive Lloyd
6. Garfield Sobers
7. Monty Noble
8. Michael Holding
9. Andy Roberts
10. Fred Trueman
11. Derek Underwood

Monstrously dangerous bowling attack with Holding, Roberts and Underwood.
Strong contingent of West Indies players who have been shown to work well together.
This team doesn't have a wicket-keeper, so presumably Haynes would have to take the gloves despite not being a proper keeper.

@Villain

1. Jack Hobbs
2. Steve Waugh
3. Aravinda De Silva
4. Mohammad Azharuddin
5. Wilfred Rhodes
   
6. Michael Bevan
7. Ian Healy
8. Ian Botham
9. Craig McDermott
10. Tich Freeman
11. Curtly Ambrose

Several well-known attacking players such as Azhar and Botham.
Most of the batsmen can bowl, and most of the bowlers can bat.
No real clarity of roles in this team; so many all-rounders that some won't have a clear job to do and what is that batting order?

I would also like to invite all members who partook in this draft to take a look at the Quiz Draft; for those of you who've not really had much time to write profiles it'll be ideal because you need only answer one question per day.

 

[Aislabie]

Now then, to explain my vote:

As with previous drafts, I have chosen not to vote for myself. This is despite managing to pick almost exactly the team that I wrote out before I began; the only changes I would have made would have been Viv Richards in for Kambli at four, and Franklyn Stephenson in for either Lance Cairns or Duncan Spencer. Otherwise, my team is exactly the one I set out to get.

But that leaves me unfairly biased in favour of my own picks, so I have settled on @Rebel2k19 as the manager who has the team I would least like for mine to play against. With a devastating batting line-up that includes Greenidge, Srikkanth, Richards, Miandad and Miller as a top five, backed up by ample bowling to defend whatever total they may manage, it'd be a terrifying proposition. Big thanks to everyone for taking part in this draft, which I've enjoyed running in particular because of the effort everyone has made to be punctual and to tell us a little about their players.

 

[blockerdave]

Ah... I suppose I can’t vote for myself ha ha.

This is tough... as you’ve shown every team has strong plusses and relatively minor minuses...