Your best Test Xi

[birdmanptr]

My mate and I were talking about this the other night and we both put pen to paper and named our best test side we have seen and clearly remember.

We were both born in 62 so we only picked sides from players we had seen and not just read about funny thing was both our sides were just Aussies and Windies mine was

Greenidge
Fredricks.Roy
Sir Viv
Chappell.Greg
Lloyd
Gilly
Warne
Roberts
Holding
Lillee
McGrath

 

[jo172]

Wow, you're old

Will qualify this by saying I've watched cricket since 1995 consistantly, so guess which country's going to dominate it?

1. Hayden - Probably the best bloke I ever saw at making a game unwinnable for the opposition at lunch on the first day.
2. Smith (c) - Gutsy, determined, workmanlike batsman and watching him come out injured in Sydney was one of the gutsier things I've seen in my life, much more so than Ponting at the Waca.
3. Ponting - Don't like him as a bloke but a destructive batsman and back in his younger days a phenomenal ring fielder.
4. Tendaulkar - One of the few batsmen to have a better record against Australia than their ordinary international record. That says alot. Also comes across as a very humble, yet determined bloke, the kind of bloke Australian cricket can't seem to produce.
5. Lara - You can't argue with his scores, also imagine the fatiuge of the opposition after getting your first three wickets just to see Lara out in the middle!
6. Gilchrist (wkt/vc) - Realise he rarely batted here, but i prefer him to my number 7. Decent if not exceptional batsman and another gentleman of the game.
7. Flintoff - A victim of his nationality like so many others in Australian eyes. If he was an Australian he'd be a national treasure, but is labelled a **** due to behaviour that is acceptable when it's Shane Watson. An intimidating bowler and destructive batsman.
8. Warne - Enough's been written about him. But he's a rare of example of someone who's a **** of a bloke but remains extremely likable.
9. Muralithian - Here begins my extremely long tail. Chucker or no chucker the most destructive bowler of his era. Also seems like a nice bloke.
10. Ambrose - Probably the greatest reaction I've ever seen is him to Jones ordering him to take off his sweat band. Don't get all macho Watson tough man just answer with the ball. I love a tall, fast and agressive bowler.
11. McGrath - Most consistant bowler i've ever seen. Could just land the ball seam up on a good length on off side 150 times a day.

12th. Kallis - Remarkable feat to be around for so long batting and bowling so consitantly. Could slot into the side for any of the blokes named.

 

[birdmanptr]

7. Flintoff - A victim of his nationality like so many others in Australian eyes. If he was an Australian he'd be a national treasure, but is labelled a **** due to behaviour that is acceptable when it's Shane Watson. An intimidating bowler and destructive batsman.
named.

Bit like Botham my mate always said only one thing wrong with him Not born in Australia

 

[RoosterLad]

jo you really are a ****ing idiot, Flintoff carries on like a twat when he takes a wicket yet that appeals to you.. yet you rip into Watto for doing it ONCE and then you say it is acceptable behaviour even though I have not heard or read anything of the sort.

This is coming from someone who has never been a Watson fan either.

 

[aneale]

C G Greenidge - In a word, frightening. Hit the ball that hard it had to be seen to be believed. Saw him take out a kid by the VR Gates one day, it was a corker.

M Hayden - just pips Dessie Haynes, and I mean just. Like Greenidge could tear you apart in the blink of an eye and destroy your length leaving the bowler with nowhere to go.

I V A Richards - Still the single most arrogant man I have met and to ever walk the face of cricket ground. With good reason. Could bat stoned and still make a test hundred.

G S Chappell - Elegance, was a toss up between he and M Waugh, Waugh converted a few more of those annoying dismissals into 100's when he had the bowlers on toast and he's have the spot. He would at least come down and sit with his mum when dismissed, more than you can say about Ian, who you could hear quite clearly from your seat anyway.

S R Tendulkar - Brilliant batsmen in all conditions. Managed to make runs against Australia which is more than you can say for most of them.

C H Lloyd - the Supercat, great batsmen and the only bloke to hit it harder than Greenidge. People understimated how good he was cos he wore glasses

A C Gilchrist - not the best keeper going around, that would be Marsh or Knott but you can't go past his hitting.

S K Warne - greatest slow bowler of all time, and legitimately so. Changed how the game could be played. Never to see the likes again.

D K Lillee - "where have you been?"
"I've been helping Mr Lillee bowl to Mr Marsh"
"Is that your dad"
"Yep ..... bye"

Legend. Could also bowl.

M A Holding - The whispering death, was magical to watch and seemingly with little or no effort. He could make the ball talk. Once faced Garner in the nets at about half pace, scared the shit out of me, I doubt i'd have seen Holding.

A M E Roberts - sneaky bastard who would fire off the best 1-2 punch of bouncers you had ever seen. Hit more blokes than Paris Hilton. First Antiguan to play test cricket.

(12th) G D McGrath - ooh ahh. Metronome, never seen anyone else be able to do it that consistently. Made you get yourself out through being mentally tougher than anyone he was bowling at.

Apologies to: Botham and his right arm rubbish half trackers that got about 350 wickets, Imran Khan, Hadlee, Collis King (one of my faves who we didnt see enough of) Martin Crowe, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar who took on the might of the Windies golden age and scored at will. Edit: I should put D Gower in that list as well, dead set ponce but he could bat.

 

[aneale]

7. Flintoff - A victim of his nationality like so many others in Australian eyes. If he was an Australian he'd be a national treasure, but is labelled a **** due to behaviour that is acceptable when it's Shane Watson. An intimidating bowler and destructive batsman.

Nationality has nothing to do with it. Grossly over-rated. Poor bowling average, miles behind every other all rounder of standard. Not good enough to carry the bags of Botham, Hadlee, Dev or Khan.

 

[tribey]

7. Flintoff - A victim of his nationality like so many others in Australian eyes. If he was an Australian he'd be a national treasure, but is labelled a **** due to behaviour that is acceptable when it's Shane Watson. An intimidating bowler and destructive batsman.

If he was Australian he'd have been lucky to play twenty tests.

79 tests
3845 runs @ 31.77 (5 centuries, 62.04 sr)
226 wickets @ 32.78 (3 fivefors, 66.11 sr)

Anyone'd think he was Jacques Kallis or Imran Khan the way people carry on.

He's not even as good as Mitchell Johnson.

 

[aneale]

If he was Australian he'd have been lucky to play twenty tests.

79 tests
3845 runs @ 31.77 (5 centuries, 62.04 sr)
226 wickets @ 32.78 (3 fivefors, 66.11 sr)

Anyone'd think he was Jacques Kallis or Imran Khan the way people carry on.

He's not even as good as Mitchell Johnson.

exactly, I could name 10 all rounders better than him, he probably pip Johnson at this point but won't be careers end.

 

[birdmanptr]

C G Greenidge - In a word, frightening. Hit the ball that hard it had to be seen to be believed. Saw him take out a kid by the VR Gates one day, it was a corker.

M Hayden - just pips Dessie Haynes, and I mean just. Like Greenidge could tear you apart in the blink of an eye and destroy your length leaving the bowler with nowhere to go.

I V A Richards - Still the single most arrogant man I have met and to ever walk the face of cricket ground. With good reason. Could bat stoned and still make a test hundred.

G S Chappell - Elegance, was a toss up between he and M Waugh, Waugh converted a few more of those annoying dismissals into 100's when he had the bowlers on toast and he's have the spot. He would at least come down and sit with his mum when dismissed, more than you can say about Ian, who you could hear quite clearly from your seat anyway.

S R Tendulkar - Brilliant batsmen in all conditions. Managed to make runs against Australia which is more than you can say for most of them.

C H Lloyd - the Supercat, great batsmen and the only bloke to hit it harder than Greenidge. People understimated how good he was cos he wore glasses

A C Gilchrist - not the best keeper going around, that would be Marsh or Knott but you can't go past his hitting.

S K Warne - greatest slow bowler of all time, and legitimately so. Changed how the game could be played. Never to see the likes again.

D K Lillee - "where have you been?"
"I've been helping Mr Lillee bowl to Mr Marsh"
"Is that your dad"
"Yep ..... bye"

Legend. Could also bowl.

M A Holding - The whispering death, was magical to watch and seemingly with little or no effort. He could make the ball talk. Once faced Garner in the nets at about half pace, scared the shit out of me, I doubt i'd have seen Holding.

A M E Roberts - sneaky bastard who would fire off the best 1-2 punch of bouncers you had ever seen. Hit more blokes than Paris Hilton. First Antiguan to play test cricket.

(12th) G D McGrath - ooh ahh. Metronome, never seen anyone else be able to do it that consistently. Made you get yourself out through being mentally tougher than anyone he was bowling at.

Apologies to: Botham and his right arm rubbish half trackers that got about 350 wickets, Imran Khan, Hadlee, Collis King (one of my faves who we didnt see enough of) Martin Crowe, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar who took on the might of the Windies golden age and scored at will.

Almost the same team

 

[birdmanptr]

If he was Australian he'd have been lucky to play twenty tests.

79 tests
3845 runs @ 31.77 (5 centuries, 62.04 sr)
226 wickets @ 32.78 (3 fivefors, 66.11 sr)

Anyone'd think he was Jacques Kallis or Imran Khan the way people carry on.

He's not even as good as Mitchell Johnson.

Like i said he had 4-5 good tests Just so happened it was in 2005 and 2009 Ashes

 

[NTRabbit]

Nationality has nothing to do with it. Grossly over-rated. Poor bowling average, miles behind every other all rounder of standard. Not good enough to carry the bags of Botham, Hadlee, Dev or Khan.

I'd take Wasim Akram as an all-rounder before Flintoff, but my first choice for the spot (from players I've seen) would be Chris Cairns - I don't quite remember Beefy as a player.

 

[birdmanptr]

I V A Richards - Still the single most arrogant man I have met and to ever walk the face of cricket ground. With good reason. Could bat stoned and still make a test hundred.

.

He went out to bat once and Botham said you should have a helmet and he said If you think you can hit me in the head go for it man

 

[aneale]

I'd take Wasim Akram as an all-rounder before Flintoff, but my first choice for the spot (from players I've seen) would be Chris Cairns - I don't quite remember Beefy as a player.

Akram is certainly better than Flintoff. Dangerous would be the best way to describe Akram. Flintoff is probably a slightly better bowler than Cairns from what we saw on our grounds but Cairns was the better batsmen. We didn't see enough of Cairns in NZ or England to see his true worth probably. He's about to marry an Aussie girl so there is hope for the sheep worrier yet.

 

[aneale]

He went out to bat once and Botham said you should have a helmet and he said If you think you can hit me in the head go for it man

And wouldn't of, haha. Beefy would have tried and Viv would have hit them for six. Then they'd have had a beer and blazed up Those were the days.

 

[Alex99]

Sorry, wrong thread. Thought this was the hated cricket one. Apologies.

 

[cammo6556]

Any of you heard of a bloke called bradman? Heard he was ok.

 

[jo172]

Any of you heard of a bloke called bradman? Heard he was ok.

Yep I remember watching him bat while I was a lad during the Great Depression

 

[birdmanptr]

Any of you heard of a bloke called bradman? Heard he was ok.

There a rumours and facts to support your case

HOWEVER go back to the first post in this thread and it says Players who you have seen and clearly remember

 

[Alex99]

My best test 12

1) Mathew Hayden
2) Gordon Greenidge
3) Ricky Ponting
4) Sir Vivian Richards
5) Sachin Tendulkar
6) Steven Waugh
7) Adam Gilchrest
8) Shane Warne
9) Courtney Walsh
10) Curtly Ambrose
11) Glenn McGrath
12) Rahul Dravid

I didn’t see the Chappell, Border, Lillee, Marsh era or the Clive Lloyd West Indies era so could not add any of them.

Would have loved to add Jonty Rhodes as the 12th man and specialist fielder but his batting was a level below this so added Rahul Dravid who IMO was a very good fielder and world class batter.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Saeed Anwar - Class act. Stylish left hander, intimidated bowlers the world over.

Virender Sehwag - Wrote his own text book. Best ball striker going around.

Martin Crowe - Elegant, technically superb. If you want to teach your kid how to bat, just show him some footage of Crowe.

Aravinda de Silva - Could be both beautiful and and brutally destructive in the same stroke

Inzamam-ul-Haq - Was completely untroubled by any pace or spin bowler of his generation.

Mark Waugh - Made the impossible look ridiculously easy, whether it was clipping a good length ball outside off stump through square leg for four or snaffling a bottom edged cut shot low down at second slip.

Ian Healy - The best gloveman I've ever seen. Complete and utter perfection behind the stumps, whether up or back.

Wasim Akram - Left armer who was deadly accurate and swung it late both ways at 145 clicks. Say no more.

Curtly Ambrose - Didn't bowl a bad ball in his entire career.

Saqlain Mushtaq - By introducing the doosra to the world he redefined off spin bowling and kept it relevant for the modern era. His spell in the first innings at Bellerive 2001 was the greatest display of subtlety and guile I've ever seen.

Devon Malcolm - Loved him. Quick and blind. He didn't know where they were going and neither did anyone else. Destroyed the Saffies after de Viliers hit him in the head with a bouncer - "You guys are dead" he told them and he promptly took 9/57.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Nationality has nothing to do with it. Grossly over-rated. Poor bowling average, miles behind every other all rounder of standard. Not good enough to carry the bags of Botham, Hadlee, Dev or Khan.

Rubbish.

Just for some perspective, do you know how many allrounders have averaged >40 with the bat and <30 with the ball in test history?

One.

Jaques Kallis, and that's it. And there are some seriously good bowlers who have averaged over 30 with the ball too, especially in the flat wicket, five-day-test-to-boost-catering-revenue era Flintoff has bowled through.

Flintoff was a dead set gun, big game player, would have better numbers with the ball had it not been for his knee and ankle injuries and perhaps would have made more runs if he didn't have a nation on his shoulders every time he walked out there. Yes, some of those other allrounders are ahead of him as cricketers, no doubt. But he's in the ball park.

 

[birdmanptr]

Rubbish.

Just for some perspective, do you know how many allrounders have averaged >40 with the bat and <30 with the ball in test history?

One.

Jaques Kallis, and that's it. And there are some seriously good bowlers who have averaged over 30 with the ball too, especially in the flat wicket, five-day-test-to-boost-catering-revenue era Flintoff has bowled through.

Flintoff was a dead set gun, big game player, would have better numbers with the ball had it not been for his knee and ankle injuries and perhaps would have made more runs if he didn't have a nation on his shoulders every time he walked out there. Yes, some of those other allrounders are ahead of him as cricketers, no doubt. But he's in the ball park.

Not sure about Freddie had a good ashes in 05 and 09 but cant help think we helped that with some inept performances rather than his good play

If Watson stays fit he will out stat him at careers end

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Not sure about Freddie had a good ashes in 05 and 09 but cant help think we helped that with some inept performances rather than his good play

If Watson stays fit he will out stat him at careers end

As much as I hate him, Watson is quality. Could end up with great numbers, especially with the bat. Bowling seems to be more of a bonus at the moment rather than a significant string to his bow. Perhaps he's just been injured too often to still hit the 140km/hr mark anymore.

 

[aneale]

Rubbish.

Just for some perspective, do you know how many allrounders have averaged >40 with the bat and <30 with the ball in test history?

One.

bahahahahah, what fantasy world do you live in? For starters, Flintoff's batting average is 31.77 and his bowling average is 32.78. Rule 1, try and average more with the bat than ball.

so better than him? And that would be;

Ian Botham: 5200 runs (33.54) (14 test centuries)and 383 wickets (28.40)
Imran Khan: 3807 runs (37.69) (6) and 362 wickets (22.87)
Chris Cairns: 3320 runs (33.53) (5) and 218 wickets (29.40)
Jacques Kallis: 10401 runs (54.74) (32) and 258 wickets (31.10)

and those are just the ones who beat him in both batting and bowling. Then we get onto the guys who were slightly lesser batsmen (in averages only, not in reality) but so far superior bowlers it's not funny, so much so they are statistically far superior allrounders to him.

Richard Hadlee: 3124 runs (27.16) (2) and 431 wickets (22.29)
Wasim Akram: 2898 runs (22.69) (3) and 414 wickets (23.62)
Kapil Dev: 5248 runs (31.05) (8) and 434 wickets (29.64)

Lets put it in perspective. He was a dead set gun on the days when it went his way IN ENGLAND and **** all elsewhere, he struggled unless playing Zim or Bangladesh outside of his home comfort. He is typical of most English cricketers of the last 30 years, deadset lucky to be born in England or blokes not good enough to make it in their own country and go to England because they are so poor.

I stand by it, he's at least 8th (and comfortably) in line of what I've seen, nowhere near the player between the ears or in talent. No more of a big game player than Khan, Dev, Botham or Hadlee and had far less expectation on him from the country than those 4 guys ever did. You clearly don't remember them given your list of 12. Nor does it put him within cooee of guys like Sobers and Miller who I didn't see.

 

[Geoffa32]

My personal best XI.

Matthew Hayden
Justin Langer These two because they had such a good partnership. Others were better individually but these two had a real chemistry.

Sachin Tendulkar - Loved watching him bat. Not sure if at first drop often, but is in my team.
Viv Richards - Loved the fact he rarely wore a helmet.
Alan Border - Was young when he played but remember that he never gave up his wicket and was a captain that demanded respect Also reminds me of Chuck Norris.
Adam Gilchrist - Big hit and was a decent keeper. Edges Healy out with his batting and excitement factor.
Shane Warne - In truth my ideal team would be 7 Warnies 1 Gilly 1 Haydos and 2 McGraths to take the new ball. Shane Warne is my favourite sportsman and is God. The difference being whenever I prayed to SK Warne he delivered.
Curtley Ambrose - Scary man, who I am told has a great sense of humour. I remember as a kid asking him for an autograph at AO while he was fielding. He gave me a blank stare which gave me shivers. Cant imagine what it would be like facing him, scary I bet.
Wasim Akram - I hated when he bowled against us. It felt like every ball would be a wicket. Left armer coming across the body with it swinging either way. Hated it.
Alan Donald - I love to watch very fast bowlers and he is the one I have enjoyed watching the most, against anyone but the Aussies that is.
Glen McGrath- Accruate and a thinking bowler. Showed the other night when he predicted the wicket of Warner in the 20/20 charity game he has a plan for every ball. Sadly is still our best pace bowler.

My not be the best team statistically, but is the team I would love to watch for five days. Actually any test these guys played would be over in three I reckon.