World Test Team

[stereotype]

Nah, Oram bowls right-handed.

so does Hussey

 

[smssia0112]

Hussey isn't a bowler though.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Michael Hussey
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting (c)
Kevin Pietersen
Michael Clarke
Andrew Symonds
Brad Haddin (wk)
Mitchell Johnson
Peter Siddle
Nathan Hauritz
Ben Hilfenhaus

 

[Dare]

A great first class career in a weak system. Maybe he is one of Sri Lanka's best bowlers, but does that make him in the top 4 or 5 bowlers in the world? I've said it over and over, no matter how impressive he was against India it's too early to make that call. Michael Clarke took 6-9 in an innings against India, Jason Krejza took 12 wickets in a match, both in their debut series. Now I'm not saying that Mendis doesn't look better or perform better more consistently, but he's still not in the top 5 test bowlers in the world.

I don't understand why it isn't more simple - you can't call someone one of the best in the world when they've only played against one team!

maybe not top 5 bowlers but top 5 spinner for sure. only Murli, Vettori and Harbhajan are there alongside Mendis. It is a matter of personal preference and I prefer Mendis over the others. But than again I did include Vettori too.

 

[smssia0112]

Maybe he is in the top 5 spinners, but I'd definitely not have him ahead of those guys, they have good records based on a lot of cricket in various conditions against various teams.

 

[Dare]

Maybe he is in the top 5 spinners, but I'd definitely not have him ahead of those guys, they have good records based on a lot of cricket in various conditions against various teams.

True the guys that I mentioned have played allot of cricket over the years but this year he has performed wherever he bowled (yea I know it was mostly in the subcontinent) but I have confidence that if my team was to play some of the other ones anywhere Mendis would perform.



1. Sehwag/Gambhir (both guys deserve it but I just couldn't decide which one)
2. Smith
3. Sangakkara+
4. Jayawardene*
5. Chanderpaul
6. Ab de Villiers
7. Flintoff
8. Vettori
9. Mendis
10. Steyn
11. Mitchell Johnson

A few changes, de Villiers in instead of Hussey and Johnson instead of Lee.

 

[sohum]

He had the wood over one team, does that make him in the top 11 test cricketers in the world? The answer is no. You can not select someone in a world test XI after 3 tests, regardless of how good they were. The factors you're leaving out are endless. He's only played against one team, and all in the same spin friendly conditions. There is no doubting he's a better bowler than Krejza, but he's not in the top 4 or 5 bowlers in the world. End of.

Actually, I didn't make an argument for him to be in the Test XI. I was merely pointing out why the comparison with Krejza was completely invalid as he blows Krejza out of the planet. Although I did include him in my Test XI because having watched the series, he does not really rely on turn--he relies on variations and very subtle variations at that. He gets about as much spin as Kumble.

sohum added 2 Minutes and 56 Seconds later...

Michael Hussey
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting (c)
Kevin Pietersen
Michael Clarke
Andrew Symonds
Brad Haddin (wk)
Mitchell Johnson
Peter Siddle
Nathan Hauritz
Ben Hilfenhaus

That team would struggle to beat South Africa.

sohum added 5 Minutes and 2 Seconds later...

Maybe he is in the top 5 spinners, but I'd definitely not have him ahead of those guys, they have good records based on a lot of cricket in various conditions against various teams.

Another thing to note is that Mendis has had a phenomenal start to his ODI career, grabbing 3 wickets a game in his 18 games. Although he has not played against the toughest opposition (India, Zimbabwe, West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh), he has played in these non-Sri Lanka locations with measurable success.

Personally, I think he will have a long-ish honeymoon period but eventually batsmen will figure him out. He's going to be dangerous if he is approached dangerously--Sehwag who didn't really give him too much thought had a lot of success against him.

 

[mattfb]

That team would struggle to beat South Africa.

Probably, seems there's no Katich.

 

[aussie_ben91]

That team would struggle to beat South Africa.

Nah it wouldn't - Kevin Pietersen's innit.

I decided that adding a South African into the side would do us the world of good. Afterall, it won England the Ashes in 2005.

 

[mattfb]

Jaques
Hughes
Katich
Clarke (c)
Thornley
Henriques
Haddin (wk)
Hauritz
Lee (op 2) / Bracken
Clark / Cameron (op2)
Bollinger (op 1)

NSW test team. I think it would give the Kiwis a good run seems our NSW team minus all the internationals and Bollinger gave the kiwis a good game. Can't remember if we won.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Jaques
Hughes
Katich
Clarke (c)
Thornley
Henriques
Haddin (wk)
Hauritz
Lee (op 2) / Bracken
Clark / Cameron (op2)
Bollinger (op 1)

NSW test team. I think it would give the Kiwis a good run seems our NSW team minus all the internationals and Bollinger gave the kiwis a good game. Can't remember if we won.

"God" got promoted to number 4, eh? Bradman batted at number 3, does that mean Bradman controls the universe now?

 

[smssia0112]

NSW's second XI beat New Zealand I'm pretty sure.

 

[Cricketman]

Nah it wouldn't - Kevin Pietersen's innit.

Then they'd surely lose to India

 

[mattfb]

"God" got promoted to number 4, eh? Bradman batted at number 3, does that mean Bradman controls the universe now?

Not following you here...

NSW's second XI beat New Zealand I'm pretty sure.

Yeah, it was our second youngest side ever.

 

[irottev]

Yeah, it was our second youngest side ever.

I think it was just about our second youngest side ever as well. We're on the up.