Best test world 11 last 50 years

[footyfan1978]

If you remove his tests against Australia his record is actually identical to McGrath’s -

I do not get caught up on picking teams on stats.
I pick on what I watch over the years and rate.
McGrath's not in my team either.
I'd probably have McGrath in my thirds with Pollock in the fifths.
Just too many bowlers I rate a lot higher than Pollock to be anywhere near my team.

 

[footyfan1978]

I see when picking a world XI of last 50 years no one has any English players, and rightly so.

They have produced fine cricketers, but all of their best are quite easily superseded by other equivalents. For the sake of the exercise he is my best English side of the last 50 years (I’m just thinking of it right now, so bound to miss some)

Cook
Gooch
Gower
Pietersen
Root
Stokes (captain, we are playing Baz ball)
Alec Stewart (keeper)
Botham
Swann
Broad
Anderson
Willis

Botham at 8 seems a bit rough, but gives lots of depth, and endless flexibility with him and Stokes.

I can’t think of a spinner if we are measuring careers from 1972 onwards who would be head of Swann (underwood perhaps? Though not sure how much of his career was pre 72). He’s certainly miles ahead of Emburey, Edmonds, Tufnell, Croft, Giles etc.

Botham is one Pom player I rate really highly but I have no need for him with Gilly in my team.

 

[PhatBoy]

I do not get caught up on picking teams on stats.
I pick on what I watch over the years and rate.
McGrath's not in my team either.
I'd probably have McGrath in my thirds with Pollock in the fifths.
Just too many bowlers I rate a lot higher than Pollock to be anywhere near my team.

I understand that and I try and mix both I’m simply saying that at the end of it all the only thing in these sorts of exercises that aren’t simple opinion, are numbers: it’s all we have to go on to verify that what we see with our eye is real and not just something we are interpreting. Marry the two and you’ve got the basis for how most people put together these sorts of lists.

Fwiw as an observer of Pollock and McGrath for that matter they both had a very similar MO to try and remove batsmen, Pollock didn’t bowl as straight when I watched him as McGrath did so had to prey on patience a lot more

 

[Falconista]

You could make the case that Warne pips Murali as he was better with the bat, a better catcher and it seemed like a better on field figure/leader. There was only a cigarette paper between their test bowling outputs so need to look at other means for justifying selection.

 

[footyfan1978]

I understand that and I try and mix both I’m simply saying that at the end of it all the only thinin these sorts of exercises that aren’t simple opinion, are numbers:

I know. I am very much not someone that looks at number to pick my teams. I pick on what I watch and rate.
I understand most on these type of sites pick on stats.

 

[Blue1980]

I would say a mark of their lack of star power during that period is the fact that, to me at least, their ‘greatest’ batsman of that time is Kevin Pietersen. And he’s nowhere near a world side for that era.

Exactly, Root probably the other one in the conversation as their best batsmen over that period, and again nowhere near a best world side.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

420 test wickets and almost 4000 runs, I’ll gladly take him.

Clearly ahead of Dev, Beefy, Hadlee, I would have Kallis and Khan ahead and that is all

Make it 60 years and Sobers would be the first fella picked in any World xi.

Could and did open the bowling and when the shine wore off would come back and bowl left arm leggies. Was brilliant in the field in the slips or the covers and of course was a wonderful bat. Played with a chronic back issue for half his career.

I am old enough to have had the joy of watching him play.

 

[Saints4ever]

Was born in 84 and would rather choose my team off what I’ve watched rather then stats so here’s my 11.

Matthew Hayden
Rahul Dravid
Brian Lara
Sachin Tendulkar
Jacques Kallis
Ricky Ponting
Kumar Sangakara
Shaun Pollock
Shane Warne
Wasim Akram
Curtly Ambrose

 

[FredLeDeux]

I can't have Haynes at all.
There about 20 openers around his standard in my time of watching. He not even in contention in my thinking.
But Greenidge is a must.

Not if they're playing in Australia

 

[Richard Pryor]

Feel like 50 years is a bit too long since it covers pretty much the entire era of living memory and players having a decent amount of footage to watch from. Of players I've actually seen play probably

1. G. Smith
2. Matthew 'Sweepshot' Hayden
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Tendulkar
5. BC Lara
6. Kallis
7. Gilchrist
8. Pat Cummins
9. Shane Warne
10. Dale Steyn
11. McGrath

 

[Ginnieboy]

If you take out the minnows then take into account that murali bowled a lot more overs than Warne per innings their overall stats are actually remarkably similar.

For mine Warne has the edge simply because he was a big game player and also one thing people leave out is that he was a significantly better batsman than murali. Not even close. Murali was a genuine no11 and Warne batted at 8.

Not to mention Warne often fielded at 1st slip, was an elite fielder, and as said could hold a cricket bat, far better overall cricketer who would’ve been a great captain to boot.

 

[Ginnieboy]

I do not get caught up on picking teams on stats.
I pick on what I watch over the years and rate.
McGrath's not in my team either.
I'd probably have McGrath in my thirds with Pollock in the fifths.
Just too many bowlers I rate a lot higher than Pollock to be anywhere near my team.

Also need to factor in the quality of bats, bats in the 70s were absolute crap, they improved a little in the 80s, I think it was mid 90s to 2000 where they became war hammers with the thick edges and heaps more power, so modern batsmen got the favours and the bowlers got the short straw, McGrath and Pollock bowled during the power bat era, has to be worth something.

Then consider what the likes of Richards and Chappell would’ve averaged with those bats, 2s become 3s, 3s become 4s etc over a 15 year period equals a lot more runs.

 

[Ginnieboy]

Was born in 84 and would rather choose my team off what I’ve watched rather then stats so here’s my 11.

Matthew Hayden
Rahul Dravid
Brian Lara
Sachin Tendulkar
Jacques Kallis
Ricky Ponting
Kumar Sangakara
Shaun Pollock
Shane Warne
Wasim Akram
Curtly Ambrose

Reason I gave Gillie the keeping job over Sangakkara or De Villiers was strike rate, Gilly had a mind bending SR of 82, Kumar and AB’s was only 54, you want your no7 to score quickly, Gilly sacrificed his average to do this, Gilly is the perfect no7.

 

[Yoda_]

Was born in 84 and would rather choose my team off what I’ve watched rather then stats so here’s my 11.

Matthew Hayden
Rahul Dravid
Brian Lara
Sachin Tendulkar
Jacques Kallis
Ricky Ponting
Kumar Sangakara
Shaun Pollock
Shane Warne
Wasim Akram
Curtly Ambrose

David made less than 1,000 runs opening up.

 

[guruisatiger]

My best which includes Super Tests from WSC which was even higher standard than ICC Tests is below:

Barry Richards
Gordon Greenidge
Viv Richards
Greg Chappell
Ricky Ponting
Allan Border
Adam Gilchrist
Wasim Akram
Richard Hadlee
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee

12th man Michael Holding

I started watching in World Series Cricket time of late 70's so even though only had a brief looks at Barry Richards he the best opener for mine.

By the way,,Barry Richards is the one wearing the helmet

 

[The hands of stone]

Not to mention Warne often fielded at 1st slip, was an elite fielder, and as said could hold a cricket bat, far better overall cricketer who would’ve been a great captain to boot.

Not if you ask Damien Fleming about his fielding

 

[footyfan1978]

By the way,,Barry Richards is the one wearing the helmet

 

[Power Raid]

I would have loved to have seen how the careers of geoff pollock and barry richards had played out, if not for the events off the field

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I see when picking a world XI of last 50 years no one has any English players, and rightly so.

They have produced fine cricketers, but all of their best are quite easily superseded by other equivalents. For the sake of the exercise he is my best English side of the last 50 years (I’m just thinking of it right now, so bound to miss some)

Cook
Gooch
Gower
Pietersen
Root
Stokes (captain, we are playing Baz ball)
Alec Stewart (keeper)
Botham
Swann
Broad
Anderson
Willis

Botham at 8 seems a bit rough, but gives lots of depth, and endless flexibility with him and Stokes.

I can’t think of a spinner if we are measuring careers from 1972 onwards who would be head of Swann (underwood perhaps? Though not sure how much of his career was pre 72). He’s certainly miles ahead of Emburey, Edmonds, Tufnell, Croft, Giles etc.

Knott takes the gloves.
I probably wouldn't have Botham and just go with another bat. Stokes gives a more than handy extra bowler. But who? Stewart might stay in the side, he averaged near 47 in a mostly poor side when not keeping (35 when keeping, Knott averaged 33 but was a far better gloveman).
Probably Underwood over Swann, but that might depend on where the match is played.

Tufnell 12th man, because everyone loves Tuffers.