The Pre-Twenty20 Draft

[blockerdave]

Excellent pick. Had him on my list but I knew he'd end up in your team

Yep I’d been debating the order of my next picks, Procter, stephenson and “A N Other”... I was leaning toward Procter on the grounds I thought stephenson might fly under the radar not having played internationals

With Procter gone it made my mind up to get Stephenson next. I am reasonably confident my other pick is another who’d fly under the radar so wondering if I’ll look to bring any others forward first

 

[Aislabie]

The index has been updated with all four completed rounds so far. Full information for @Sinister One as he (hopefully) rushes to pick his next player!

 

[Master Bates]

Desmond Haynes
A part of a great opening partnership that tormented bowlers all over the world. He was the perfect partner to Gordon Greenidge. The two formed a formidable pair in the middle and can be considered as the greatest openers cricket has ever seen.

He and Greenidge both were huge run scorers with very similar ODI strike rates show how good Desmond Haynes was. Average above 40 in both tests and ODIs is very good. 6 of his 17 ODI centuries were above the strike rate of 100, that too in the era of 1980s. In the 17 ODI matches he scored a ton, Windows lost only one. Proves how big a match winner he was! And one last thing, this scorecard proves that he could play very aggressively (perfect for T20s). In a match where everyone scored slowly (including Greenidge), he was striking at more than run a ball.

His role in my team will be to take advantage of power play with his stroke making.

@Villain

 

[blockerdave]

Good pick Haynes, can keep wicket too!

 

[Villain]

My pick is Aravinda De Silva. Will post the write-up for him soon. Thanks.


Next to pick @Rebel2k19.

 

[blockerdave]

My pick is Aravinda De Silva. Will post the write-up for him soon. Thanks.


Next to pick @Rebel2k19.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

First Procter then Aravinda!!

Aravinda's 112 in the 1995 B&H final is one of my favourite innings of all time, he was right in for one of my next picks.

One of my absolute favourite players of all time. Loved him.

 

[Bevab]

My pick is Aravinda De Silva. Will post the write-up for him soon. Thanks.


Next to pick @Rebel2k19.

Was hoping he’d still be available when my turn came around as he was one of those who could have played a T20 game towards the end of his career. Dang it.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Was hoping he’d still be available when my turn came around as he was one of those who could have played a T20 game towards the end of his career. Dang it.

He wouldn't have coms to you as I was going to pick him! Dammit now I got to research again...

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Was hoping he’d still be available when my turn came around as he was one of those who could have played a T20 game towards the end of his career. Dang it.

I misread it as Arjuna Ranatunga at first

 

[Bevab]

I misread it as Arjuna Ranatunga at first

I don't like Ranatunga anyways.

Shhhhhh....

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Shhhhhh....

Edited now

 

[Gaurav_7]

Sir Richard Hadlee. I will write later.

Gordon Greenidge
Farokh Engineer
Viv Richards
Keith Miller
Richard Hadlee

 

[Aislabie]

@blockerdave has the next pick

 

[blockerdave]

Basil D'Oliveira

However good you think Basil D'Oliveira was, the truth is he was better still. 2,484 Test runs at 40.06 with 5 hundreds and 15 half-centuries is impressive enough, but he was by his own admission past his best before he even started playing League Cricket in England, much less first class (19,490 runs @ 40.26, plus 551 wickets at 27.45) or Tests. He made his debut in the 1947/48 season, and only went to play League Cricket in England in 1960. By that time he'd racked up 82 centuries in Club and Representative cricket in South Africa.

Basil's peak years were spent in relative obscurity playing one and two day cricket in the "coloured" leagues in apartheid South Africa. His numbers there were nothing short of astonishing - he once scored 225 (out of a team score of 236) in under 70 minutes.... his first hundred came in 25 minutes. This innings started with five consecutive 6s and in total ended up with 28 sixes and 10 fours - that's 208 in boundaries.

Another time he scored 46 off an 8 ball over. He was aggressive, destructive, and a class apart. It's a tragedy he grew up in such an abnormal society - he should be recognised as an all time great, not a merely "very good" player.

His medium pace would be handy too, with 190 List A wickets at 23.56 with an economy rate of 3.4, but he is in this side to be what he was best at, a middle order batsman who could take any attack apart and score at a rapid pace, with boundaries aplenty.

@Bevab you're next

 

[Aislabie]

Basil's peak years were spent in relative obscurity playing one and two day cricket in the "coloured" leagues in apartheid South Africa. His numbers there were nothing short of astonishing - he once scored 225 (out of a team score of 236) in under 70 minutes.... his first hundred came in 25 minutes. This innings started with five consecutive 6s and in total ended up with 28 sixes and 10 fours - that's 208 in boundaries.

Another time he scored 46 off an 8 ball over. He was aggressive, destructive, and a class apart. It's a tragedy he grew up in such an abnormal society - he should be recognised as an all time great, not a merely "very good" player.

That is a phenomenal pick. Someone I never would have thought of, but one of the most valuable players in this draft I think given the hitting prowess you've just highlighted.