The Best XI

Purely included him for the sake of variety. Just why I thought Lara and Sobers should also be in there, as they are left handed batsmen. But I understand your comments Zuhair.

Originally posted by spin wizard   A world XI without Bradman and Sobers is pure nonesense.

To be fair to the 250,000 they did select Bradman - but if they hadn't the silliness would have reach even greater heights.

 Why thank you mark1508, that's quiet an interesting thought . Welcome!!

picking one from each nation then mine would be:

Cook
Gayle
Ponting
Tendulkar
Brendon Taylor
Sangakkara
Shakib al Hasan
Vettori
Steyn
Gul
Zaheer Khan

An opener that doesn't make hundreds, a wicket keeper and doesn't keep wicket and a fast bowler who can't bowl more than 4 overs

Edited by Clobber - 06 September 2011 at 9:08am

Watson is a genuine all rounder. Took 5/30 for the match against SL , even where he didn't make runs. I don't actually think there's many better exponents of reverse swing in the world than Watson.
He doesn't have many hundreds to his name, but has a considerable number of 80s and 90s and I am sure that's something he is working on in his game.

The XI that was posted above is clearly an ODI level. Sangakkara keeps in ODIs, Brett Lee is still one of the best in the business at ODI level and someone like Amla is ranked no.1 in ODIs for batting. Certainly looks an excellent ODI side, although I probably wouldn't play both Vettori and Swann in the same side - possibly play Afridi as your spinner instead if you were to choose one.

I'd pick Gayle over Sehwag, but there's no reason to not consider picking Sehwag given his very high strike rate in the format. Kallis is an all rounder and flexible cricketers like that are useful in the format - he looks a good player in T20 too... as surprising as that sounds.
Anderson wouldn't be my pick at all... I'd choose Steyn in all formats that's for sure.

England had 4 bowlers bowling reverse swing, whereas Australia had their opening batsman bowling a few overs in each innings and getting some swing after the English batsmen were already settled in.

Perhaps you didn't want the last match against Sri Lanka, he was getting the ball to swing a lot at brisk fast-medium pace without a whole lot of effort. In context, I do think he's one of the best exponents of reverse swing. If there's even a hint of reverse swing he'll be the first guy to get it.

This is my opinion.

I think considering that he and Hussey were the only ones that looked like making over 30 runs in an innings, Ponting didn't give him as many overs as he probably should have. Nonetheless, both in England (vs Pakistan) and Sri Lanka (in this series in Sri Lanka) he has swung the ball prodigiously. To be fair, English batsmen probably play swing bowling better than any other batsmen in the world, and that's not really an exaggeration.

Watson is not an amazing bowler or an overly dangerous bowler, but in context, considering he is an opening batsman of decent ability (more so in ODIs, but continually improving in tests), his swing bowling, proportionate to his ability in batting and fielding is very, very good.

But I do understand your contention, and that Ashes was a complete disaster for Australia in every facet of the game. It's definitely a low point for Australian cricket, just like when England lost 5-0 in 06/07. But look at England now. There's always room to improve and if you put the right reviews and actions in place, anything can happen.

It's ok Sledge, if anything happens to Watson, they'll turn to their new 'all-rounder' Mike Hussey.

Dilshan tried to return the favour by giving Sangakkara the new ball at Marsh/Hussey without the same success. Sooner or later, we'll see teams with ten genuine bowling options picked. That might be worth some thought now - can you pick an XI of frontline bowlers that could also bat or vice versa?

A very quick team for all formats to get the ball rolling: Gayle, Watson, Kallis, Yuvraj, Mathews, Dhoni, Vettori, Bresnan, Swann/Harbhajan, Steyn, Anderson/Tremlett/Harris

1. Cook

It's confusing whether you support South Africa or England

Hmm, not so sure I agree with dustbowl. A side with Cook, Dravid, Trott and Kallis? I can imagine many a maiden over being bowled. lol In all seriousness, while Dravid showed that he can bat wherever required in the England series, I am sure he still prefers number 3. I wouldn't him play as a first choice opener if I can't play him at number 3 and I think if I had to pick a Test side tomorrow, I would pick Sanga or Amla ahead of Dravid at 3. My pick:

1. Cook
2. Sehwag
3. Sangakkara (c)
4. Amla
5. Kallis
6. Hussey
7. Prior (wk)
8. Broad
9. Steyn
10. Swann
11. Anderson

Cook walks into any Test side as opener atm and to partner, possibly Sehwag or Gambhir despite their horrid tours of England.  I would pick Sehwag for the X-factor he brings to any side.

Sanga at 3, Amla at 4, Kallis at 5 gives stability to the middle order. Sanga averages 73 when playing as a pure batsman in Tests so to not pick him is a crime.  Amla merits selection based on his fantastic run in recent times and Kallis is the definition of steady. If Sehwag plays a silly shot and Sanga knicks off then you know you can rely on Kallis to get you out of a hole.

Really tough call between Bell and Hussey at 6 as both are stellar players. Maybe give the edge to Hussey to give a better balance between left/right handers. Also, Bell plays no. 5 in England side while no. 6 tends to be Hussey's regular position in the Australian set-up right as he comes in before Haddin. 

At no.7, Prior picks himself and at 8, you have to go with Broad, especially considering his magnificent summer (post-SL series), his aggressive and deadly bouncer and his more than handy batting. At no. 9, Steyn. Enough said. I can't imagine anyone on this forum would pick a test side that Steyn doesn't make. At 10, can't see much past Swann as front-line spinner. Classical action, can really give the ball a rip, with an attacking field and against non sub-continent opposition, he is lethal. Number 11 was tricky. I went with Anderson for sheer swing but I wouldn't pick him if it was a match in India or Sri Lanka - might pick Zaheer instead (injury-free Zaheer ofc). If Mohammed Amir was still available, I would have him any day for the left-armer variety and because I think he is a special bowler.

I realise there is no Tendulkar and he would obviously make any all-time list but on form, I just can't pick him ahead of all those other fine batsmen. He would have to bat 4 or 5 and I would pick Kallis and Amla ahead of him to bat at those positions.

5 Englishmen and 3 South Africans, which shows who the best test nations are clearly. Nevertheless, I challenge anyone to defeat my team lol. A perfect mix of aggression (Sehwag and Prior), class (Sanga and Amla) and sheer grit (Cook and Kallis), not to mention the man for all occasions - Mike Hussey. Line+length mixed with short stuff from Broad, the perfect outswingers from Steyn, Anderson moving it both ways, Swann turning it square and Kallis ably supporting where necessary.


Edited by BackwardPoint - 05 November 2011 at 5:19pm

I prefer that the The best XI in world Sehwag, Tendulkar, sir don Bradman,Ponting, Dhoni,Kapil Dev,Lara,McGrath, Shane warn,marshal,and zaheer khan. this is the best team of XI.