World Greats Test Championship - TIME TO ANNOUNCE SQUADS FOR SERIES 2 - FREDDIE, DRAVID & INZY injured!! PLUS Pakistan v India!!

[Welwyn]

Schedule and League system announced

It has today been announced that there will be a 'Final Series' to decide the Championship at the end of the World Greats Test Championship. The winners of the League phase will automatically host the final series and play against a team that will come through a play-off system for the sides that finish 2nd-4th.

After the earlier announcement that all countries will have a home series programme of one 5-test series, three 4-test series and three 3-test series to ensure they all have the same amount of home tests, the fixture list was also announced. The big surprise being, whilst most countries who had the right to fully choose their schedule (Ashes and Ind-Pak series being ringfenced as 5 Test series) did so by giving more Tests to more prestige opponents, New Zealand decided to give their 5 test series to Sri Lanka.

Given that the Sri Lankan's are both the outsiders and look unsuited to Kiwi conditions, this seems like a definitely ploy to try and rack up some cheap home points. Speaking of which, the early betting has Australia as decent favourites, at less than 4/1. England are joint 2nd favourites with the West Indies, despite having more question marks about their squad than the Caribbean side. India's historical weakness in pace bowling has not stopped them being shorter than rivals Pakistan, whilst the 20-year gap that South Africa suffered through Apartheid, sees them as a possible value shot at 9/1.

Spoiler: Odds:

ODDS:
Australia (11/4)
England (4/1)
West Indies (4/1)
India (15/2)
Pakistan (17/2)
South Africa (9/1)
New Zealand (14/1)
Sri Lanka (25/1)

Spoiler: Schedule

Series 1
England v South Africa (4 Tests)
India v West Indies (3 Tests)
Sri Lanka v New Zealand (3 Tests)
Australia v Pakistan (3 Tests)
Series 2
West Indies v England (4 Tests)
New Zealand v South Africa (3 Tests)
Pakistan v India (5 Tests)
Australia v Sri Lanka (3 Tests)
Series 3
England v New Zealand (3 Tests)
West Indies v Pakistan (3 Tests)
South Africa v Australia (5 Tests)
India v Sri Lanka (4 Tests)
Series 4
Pakistan v England (3 Tests)
Australia v New Zealand (4 Tests)
Sri Lanka v West Indies (3 Tests)
India v South Africa (3 Tests)
Series 5
England v Australia (5 Tests)
Pakistan v Sri Lanka (4 Tests)
New Zealand v India (3 Tests)
West Indies v South Africa (5 Tests)
Series 6
Sri Lanka v England (4 Tests)
India v Australia (4 Tests)
South Africa v Pakistan (3 Tests)
West Indies v New Zealand (3 Tests)
Series 7
England v India (4 Tests)
Sri Lanka v South Africa (4 Tests)
Australia v West Indies (4 Tests)
Pakistan v New Zealand (3 Tests)
Series 8
South Africa v England (4 Tests)
West Indies v India (4 Tests)
New Zealand v Sri Lanka (5 Tests)
Pakistan v Australia (3 Tests)
Series 9
England v West Indies (4 Tests)
South Africa v New Zealand (4 Tests)
India v Pakistan (5 Tests)
Sri Lanka v Australia (3 Tests)
Series 10
New Zealand v England (4 Tests)
Pakistan v West Indies (4 Tests)
Australia v South Africa (4 Tests)
Sri Lanka v India (5 Tests)
Series 11
England v Pakistan (3 Tests)
New Zealand v Australia (4 Tests)
West Indies v Sri Lanka (3 Tests)
South Africa v India (3 Tests)
Series 12
Australia v England (5 Tests)
Sri Lanka v Pakistan (4 Tests)
India v New Zealand (3 Tests)
South Africa v West Indies (4 Tests)
Series 13
England v Sri Lanka (3 Tests)
Australia v India (3 Tests)
Pakistan v South Africa (4 Tests)
New Zealand v West Indies (4 Tests)
Series 14
India v England (4 Tests)
South Africa v Sri Lanka (3 Tests)
West Indies v Australia (4 Tests)
New Zealand v Pakistan (3 Tests)

 

[pillowprocter]

I don't know how to read odds. 15/2 is 7.5/1?

 

[Welwyn]

I don't know how to read odds. 15/2 is 7.5/1?

yep.

Also, will confirm tonight how big squads need to be for first series. Anyone that has CC 23, feel free to check yourselves, all 4 & 5 Test series, the squad will just be however big the squads are for 5 test-series in tournament mode. And for 3 test series, it'll be the same as for 3-test series in tournament mode.

EDIT: Been informed it is 18 for both So feel free to announce your squad for the first series.

 

[Welwyn]

Confirmation of 18 man squads for all games so Can I get the 18 man squads for Series 1:

England v South Africa (4 Tests)
India v West Indies (3 Tests)
Sri Lanka v New Zealand (3 Tests)
Australia v Pakistan (3 Tests)

 

[pillowprocter]

Here or in private?

 

[Welwyn]

Whichever you'd prefer.

 

[pillowprocter]

You also don't mention whether it's home or away

 

[Welwyn]

You also don't mention whether it's home or away

The first team mentioned (on the left) will always be home.

So teams in bold at home:

England v South Africa (4 Tests)
India v West Indies (3 Tests)
Sri Lanka v New Zealand (3 Tests)
Australia v Pakistan (3 Tests)

Also tested setting it up and closing and reopening the game before starting a match this morning. Weather and pitch conditions stayed the same so that's handy.

 

[pillowprocter]

Openers
Sunil Gavaskar
Virender Sehwag
Vijay Merchant

Middle Order
Sachin Tendulkar
Rahul Dravid
Mohammed Azharuddin
VVS Laxman
Virat Kohli

All-Rounder
Kapil Dev v\
Ravi Ashwin
Ravindra Jadeja

Keeper
MS Dhoni

Pace
Ishant Sharma
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammed Shami

Spin
Bishan Bedi
Harbhajan Singh
Anil Kumble

 

[RUDI]

Confirmation of 18 man squads for all games so Can I get the 18 man squads for Series 1:

England v South Africa (4 Tests)
India v West Indies (3 Tests)
Sri Lanka v New Zealand (3 Tests)
Australia v Pakistan (3 Tests)

Kindly tag all relevant parties. If I didn't happen to come over here, I wouldn't have known that you require a 18 man squad.

 

[Welwyn]

Kindly tag all relevant parties. If I didn't happen to come over here, I wouldn't have known that you require a 18 man squad.

Good idea:

First series squads in please.
@Aislabie
@Guesty98
@CerealKiller
@RUDI
@Disharies
@ahmedleo414

 

[ahmedleo414]

1. Clive Lloyd
2. Shiv Chanderpaul
3. Viv Richards v\
4. Garry Sobers
5. Gordon Greenidge
6. Everton Weekes
7. Carl Hooper
8. Brian Lara
9. Desmond Haynes
10. Clyde Walcott
11. Frank Worrell
12. Rohan Kanhai
13. Malcolm Marshall
14. Andy Roberts
15. Wes Hall
16. Courtney Walsh
17. Lance Gibbs
18. Michael Holding

 

[RUDI]

Openers
Barry Richards
Eddie Barlow
Graeme Smith
Middle Order
Graeme Pollock V/
Dudley Nourse
Colin Bland
Hashim Amla
All-Rounder
Michael Proctor
Jacques Kallis
Shaun Pollock
Trevor Goddard
Keepers
Quinten De Kock
AB de Villiers
Pace
Allan Donald
Dale Steyn
Vernon Philander
Kagiso Rabada
Spin
Hugh Tayfield

 

[Welwyn]

Right, so annoyingly, apparently Cricket Captain now has so kind of lock that prevents print screening (annoying for me but not an issue for you guys, will just photo my screen & whatsapp it to myself.

Slightly more annoying, it seems that it doesn't pick an venue in this mode for each test (other than a general home/away) - So I am just going to pick a venue per test based on the conditions I am given.

@ahmedleo414 @pillowprocter, see below for first test conditions at the toss at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to pick you XI's:

 

[pillowprocter]

Looks like a bit more for the spinners, so will play 3

Sunil Gavaskar
Virender Sehwag
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
Mohammed Azharuddin
Ravindra Jadeja
MS Dhoni
Kapil Dev
Ravi Ashwin
Jasprit Bumrah
Bishan Bedi