Current Best XI Combined Aust/NZ side

[Blue Arrow]

I have zero knowledge about rugby but I suspect NZ would have most in a combined team too.

 

[Pippen94]

Latham
Warner
Labuschagne
Williamson
Smith
Watling
Cummins
Jamieson
Hazlewood
Wagner
Lyon

Fitting 6 of the best fast bowlers in the world is a very hard task, Southee and Boult can take any of those guys place but Cummins

IMO Australia and NZ probably have 6 of the best 10 fast bowlers in the world in test cricket. Others being Rabada, Bumrah, Anderson, Broad

Hasan Ali, Shami

 

[KiwiRoo]

Well done to the Kiwi's on winning the inaugural WTC.


Which brings me what would be the best combined side at the moment ? Surely the Kiwi's would feature heavily.

Warner
Latham (NZ)
Williamson (NZ)
Smith
Taylor (NZ)
Labuschagne
Watling (NZ)
Cummins
Wagner (NZ)
Southee (NZ)/ Hazlewood
Boult (NZ)

Conway & Pucovski just not enough games at the top level to consider.

How could I NOT include Jamieson !!

No allround option in Green or DeGrandhomme

And no Lyon.

good team. i'd probably have Hazelwood ahead of Boult and Conway ahead of Warner on current form. Sure his test career is just getting started, but he's scored a hell of lot of runs in International white ball cricket.I think Warner is such a great hand eye batsmen, but hes just not picking the ball up as quick as he's got older and he's struggled for a while now.

 

[Pippen94]

I'm going to throw my hat into the ring & suggest that out of the current crop Watling, Williamson, Taylor & Boult are all locks for NZ's ATG team.

Latham not too far away, but not sure if he dislodges former openers such as Sutcliffe & Turner.

Southee & Wagner (as well as Jamieson in a few years) are also knocking on the door, but can't see any reason to pick them ahead of Hadlee, Bond or even Jack Cowie just yet.

NZ ATG XI

Glenn Turner
Bert Sutcliffe
Kane Williamson*
Martin Crowe
Ross Taylor
John Reid
BJ Watling+
Daniel Vettori
Richard Hadlee
Trent Boult
Shane Bond
12th: Chris Cairns

Mccullum is best keeper & Cairns over Reid. Surely Bond will fall out of best xi soon

 

[cricketnut14]

good team. i'd probably have Hazelwood ahead of Boult and Conway ahead of Warner on current form. Sure his test career is just getting started, but he's scored a hell of lot of runs in International white ball cricket.I think Warner is such a great hand eye batsmen, but hes just not picking the ball up as quick as he's got older and he's struggled for a while now.

it was only 8 tests ago Warner made 335*

 

[KiwiRoo]

it was only 8 tests ago Warner made 335*

he was a great player dont get me wrong, but scores before and after that were few and far between.
If you were playing the game in NZ or England, I wouldn't pick him

 

[corbies]

This is very biased but I’d take broad or Wagner out and bring Roach in. Broad has had a better career than roach obviously but isn’t currently as good

Broad took 69 wickets @ 20.08 during the WTC. Roach 39 @ 27.07. Broad was poor during India away but he didn't really bowl alot due to how spin friendly the conditions were. I'd still have him in front of Roach.

 

[PhatBoy]

Broad took 69 wickets @ 20.08 during the WTC. Roach 39 @ 27.07. Broad was poor during India away but he didn't really bowl alot due to how spin friendly the conditions were. I'd still have him in front of Roach.

Wow I have to admit that figure surprises me. I had it in my head that his last 18 months had been fairly ordinary overall

 

[BGman]

Warner
Latham
Smith
Williamson (c)
Labuschagne
Taylor/Nicholls
Paine
Cummins
Hazelwood
Boult
Lyon.

Southee 12th.

Reckon that side 'd give the Poms a nice little spanking both home and away.

 

[BGman]

If you were playing the game in NZ or England, I wouldn't pick him

Nor I. But who to pick tho in those conditions? HowStat will have the answer.

 

[Pippen94]

Warner
Latham
Smith
Williamson (c)
Labuschagne
Taylor/Nicholls
Paine
Cummins
Hazelwood
Boult
Lyon.

Southee 12th.

s**t... Ur a patriot

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Warner
Latham
Smith
Williamson (c)
Labuschagne
Taylor/Nicholls
Paine
Cummins
Hazelwood
Boult
Lyon.

Southee 12th.

Reckon that side 'd give the Poms a nice little spanking both home and away.

I understand he's just retired, but BJ Watling is a lot better than Tim Paine. Think it's OK to include BJ in these hypothetical teams still. I'd have Blundell ahead of Paine, who is very average as both a keeper and batsman at international level.

 

[BGman]

sh*t... Ur a patriot

I have 5 Black Caps.. so do you.

 

[BGman]

but BJ Watling is a lot better than Tim Paine.

Better at what discipline.. batting.. well his records suggests that. You can knock his batting , captaincy, but sorry, Tim Paine is one of the best keepers of the modern era. I always want the best keeper in my team.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Better at what discipline.. batting.. well his records suggests that. You can knock his batting , captaincy, but sorry, Tim Paine is one of the best keepers of the modern era. I always want the best keeper in my team.

His batting record "suggests" he's better does it?
Watling: 3790 runs @ 37.52 with 8 centuries HS 205 (Includes his poor start as an opener, his average as a keeper is better)
Paine: 1532 runs @ 32.63 with 0 centuries HS 92 (Only 3 FC centuries in 147 matches)

I'd say that does "suggest" Watling is a better batsman.

As for Paine being "one of the best keepers of the modern era", I can't agree with that. He's serviceable, but he dropped catches in the recent Indian series that he should have taken. Watling is an excellent keeper, easily as good as Paine behind the stumps.

Paine's only in the team as he was the best option after all the cheating scandal. If Australia had a better option to captain the side he would be gone imo.

 

[BGman]

His batting record "suggests" he's better does it?

My post said "record suggests he is a better batsman" than Paine. So no need to drag out their stats. Yes Paine did drop some sitters in the summer.. he is past his best. CA picked him in 2010 to debut as they considered him our best keeper. And he was. Was chosen to return as skipper in 2018 due to his people skills and his keeping skills.

 

[KiwiRoo]

Better at what discipline.. batting.. well his records suggests that. You can knock his batting , captaincy, but sorry, Tim Paine is one of the best keepers of the modern era. I always want the best keeper in my team.

sorry BG but Watling is a very very good keeper. You just never notice him but not much gets past him.
He'd get the nod for me ahead of Paine. I like Paine but his batting average, no of centuries etc dont do justice to the batting talent he has
Williamson would be Captain too, so don't need Paines captaincy skills either

 

[BGman]

sorry BG but Watling is a very very good keeper. You just never notice him but not much gets past him.

Probably. Not seen a lot of Watling. Want Paine behind the stumps to my predominately Aussie attack..

 

[KiwiRoo]

Probably. Not seen a lot of Watling. Want Paine behind the stumps to my predominately Aussie attack..

Fair enough
I'll stick with the guy who averages 5 runs more with the bat and keeps as well if not better
Plus nothing in your attack that makes keeping difficult with Starc out. Cummins and Hazelwood hardly bowl a bad ball and lately Lyon bowls too much at the stumps and doesn't have an arm ball let alone a Doosra, so only threatens one side of the bat

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

sorry BG but Watling is a very very good keeper. You just never notice him but not much gets past him.
He'd get the nod for me ahead of Paine. I like Paine but his batting average, no of centuries etc dont do justice to the batting talent he has
Williamson would be Captain too, so don't need Paines captaincy skills either

Paine's captaincy skills are debatable anyway. Personally I think he is another nail in the coffin of having a keeper as captain.

Paine was only made captain due to the cheating scandal, and is only still in the team for the same reason.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

My post said "record suggests he is a better batsman" than Paine. So no need to drag out their stats. Yes Paine did drop some sitters in the summer.. he is past his best. CA picked him in 2010 to debut as they considered him our best keeper. And he was. Was chosen to return as skipper in 2018 due to his people skills and his keeping skills.

None of this is a good argument for selecting Paine ahead of Watling in this hypothetical team.

I'm not arguing any of your other selections.

 

[Pippen94]

Fair enough
I'll stick with the guy who averages 5 runs more with the bat and keeps as well if not better
Plus nothing in your attack that makes keeping difficult with Starc out. Cummins and Hazelwood hardly bowl a bad ball and lately Lyon bowls too much at the stumps and doesn't have an arm ball let alone a Doosra, so only threatens one side of the bat

Don't need an arm ball or doosra, Lyons biggest weapon is bounce which catches batsman going forward or back. Bowled flat against India for some reason

 

[Pippen94]

I have 5 Black Caps.. so do you.

True 5 kiwi's 2 saf's & 4 aussies

 

[BGman]

Fair enough
I'll stick with the guy who averages 5 runs more with the bat and keeps as well if not better
Plus nothing in your attack that makes keeping difficult with Starc out. Cummins and Hazelwood hardly bowl a bad ball and lately Lyon bowls too much at the stumps and doesn't have an arm ball let alone a Doosra, so only threatens one side of the bat

Not only lately.. always. Lyon may have mounted a strong career but I wonder had CA had someone better at the time of his debut whether he'd have played even 38 matches.. as, imo, a better offie in Rowdy Mallet was given.
Keeping Paine as he knows almost every nuance of Cummins and Hazlewood's bowling. I am tempted tho to add Watling to my side as a batsman/reserve keeper.

 

[BGman]

None of this is a good argument for selecting Paine ahead of Watling in this hypothetical team.

I'm not arguing any of your other selections.

Then we're gonna have to agree to disagree.