West Indies (70's-80's) vs Australia (2000's)?

[Cricketman]

If there was a match between the West Indies of the 70's/80's and the Australian 'Invincible's' that registered the two strings of 16 wins on the trot, who would prevail?

I would think, from what i've heard and read about the West Indies of that era, that they would come out on top. With a batting order compromising of Sir Vivian Richards and Co, bowling just plain lethal, and of course Gary Sober's absolute brilliance in allround ability.

What do you guys think?

 

[Dare]

It would certainly be a close game. WI of the 70s had a good team, of course Sobers was gone by 74 and Haynes started in 78 so they didn't always have the same players in their squad but the WI team would look something like this in the 70s.

Greenidge
Haynes
Viv
Kallicharran
Sobers
Loyd*
Murray+
Roberts
Holding
Croft
Garner


When you say of the 70s than its hard to judge who should be in the squad, Malcolm Marshall played his 1st test in 78, Kanhai retired in 74, Colin Croft 1st test in 77 so its hard to make a squad. Obviously id include Marshall and Kanhai would be the WK.

 

[angryangy]

By 'now' do you mean Waugh's team?

 

[navin-boss]

By 'now' do you mean Waugh's team?

Nah,Ponting's team he means i guess.

 

[Glinn B Hogg]

"Now" would mean 2000's.

Personally I think Australia would win a a very close contest.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Justin Langer
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Mark Waugh
Steve Waugh (c)
Michael Hussey
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Shane Warne
Brett Lee
Jason Gillespie
Glenn McGrath

v

Gordon Greenidge
Desmond Haynes
Sir Vivian Richards
Brian Lara
Sir Garfield Sobers
Clive Lloyd (c)
Jeffery Dujon (wk)
Andy Roberts
Michael Holding
Curtly Ambrose
Joel Garner

The West Indies lineup from the 70s/80s also means that Curtly Ambrose misses out and I'd rate him their best ever bowler aswell. Along with Courtney Walsh who'd also stake claim to a spot in the lineup and not to mention Brian Lara aswell.

 

[Mad Snake]

be awesome to see that WI bowling line up against the aussie batting line up!

 

[angryangy]

Nah,Ponting's team he means i guess.

It's just that people are talking anachronistically about the Windies, so I can't see the point of taking the Australian squad as it is right now to compare it to. Sobers never played Tests alongside Gordon Greenidge or Haynes, Croft, Garner, Holding and only played one match with Andy Roberts. Sobers wasn't a part of Clive Lloyd's Windies, his captaincy beginning following the retirements of Kanhai and Sobers in 1974. Can you pick a team including both Sobers and Lara? In that time frame it would then be suitable to suggest adding Allan Border and Mike Hussey to Steve Waugh's 2002 side to create a top 7 that has scored more than 60,000 Test runs at a total average of more than 370. It would also have 1800 wickets to its name. The question is whether this has any relevance at all. It was never actually a team, so it would in turn be beaten by even more legendary teams containing Bradman and Lillee.

 

[SciD]

Now Australian team will loose. But this one would not have lost

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Martyn
Waugh
Clarke
Gilly
Warne
Lee
Dizzy
McGrath

 

[Dare]

Justin Langer
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Mark Waugh
Steve Waugh (c)
Michael Hussey
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Shane Warne
Brett Lee
Jason Gillespie
Glenn McGrath

v

Gordon Greenidge
Desmond Haynes
Sir Vivian Richards
Brian Lara
Sir Garfield Sobers
Clive Lloyd (c)
Jeffery Dujon (wk)
Andy Roberts
Michael Holding
Curtly Ambrose
Joel Garner

The West Indies lineup from the 70s/80s also means that Curtly Ambrose misses out and I'd rate him their best ever bowler aswell. Along with Courtney Walsh who'd also stake claim to a spot in the lineup and not to mention Brian Lara aswell.

I just noticed that the thread says 70s-80s, so of course i can include Marshall and you don't have him in there. Personally i rate him above Ambrose, yous said Ambrose mises out but you have him in your XI. Also Lara made his debut in 1990 so technically he doesn't fall into that squad.
With the 80s players being allowed my WI squad would look something like this.

Greenidge
Haynes
Viv
Kanhai
Sobers
Lloyd *
Dujon +
Marshall 2
Ambrose 1
Croft
Garner

I would take Croft ahead of Holding and Roberts just because of the different style he brings when he comes so wide of the crease. It kills me to leave Holding, Roberts and Walsh out of the squad because they could bowl out a side.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Lol.. I completely forgot about Marshall.

I've never heard of Croft before.

 

[Dare]

Lol.. I completely forgot about Marshall.

I've never heard of Croft before.

aw man you should youtube his name. He ran in basically running straight into the umpires back and when he was about to deliver the ball he would come wide of the crease (and I mean wide) like Ntini even more so sometimes.
A great bowler but with the sort of action he had his back just couldn't take it.

He has 125 wickets from 27 matches, average just above 23 and strike rate just above 49.

 

[manee]

I've never heard of Croft before.

!?

 

[Jit]

wi will win i think

 

[SaiSrini]

WI all the way.... Now Australia look defeatable after Warne, McGrath, Langer, Martyn, and the Waugh's.

How long did the WI rule world cricket?