All time World XI

[Wallaby]

Sorry, you cannot have a Fatties XI without the skipper:

Warwick Armstrong

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/69300/69358.jpg

 

[NMFC ALWAYS]

Found this clip on youtube of an innings by Barry Richards in county cricket

[youtube]XyHvFArouAM[/youtube]

I think Richie sums it all up rather well at the end of the clip.

The bowling wasn't much

 

[rusdid24]

Sutcliffe over Hobbs, eh? I know he's got a better average, but most pommies rate Hobbs as better overall.

Sutcliffe was more attacking, only reason. Hutton is there to be the anchor, don't need two of them at the top of the order. If Sir Viv was an opener then he would've got the gig.

Hobbs might have been the better player, but I picked the most attacking team I could, but still couldn't find space for Viv!

 

[Wetdog]

1. J. Hobbs
2. G.Greenidge
3. D.Bradman
4. S.Tendulker
5. V.Richards
6. G.Sobers
7. A.Gilchrist
8. I.Botham
9. C.White
10. M.Marshall
11. D.Lillee

12. S.Waugh

 

[worbod]

1. Jack Hobbs
2. Bill Ponsford
3. Don Bradman
4. George Headley
5. Wally Hammond
6. Garfield Sobers
7. Mike Procter
8. Adam Gilchrist
9. George Lohmann
10. Sydney Barnes
11. Bill O'Reilly

And what about this team:
BEST XI OF WEST INDIANS WHO NEVER HAD AN AFRO

1. Faoud Bacchus
2. Joe Solomon
3. Rohan Kanhai
4. Alvin Kallicharran
5. Shiv Chanderpaul
6. Larry Gomes
7. Deryck Murray
8. Rangy Nanan
9. Ezra Moseley
10. Inshan Ali
11. Sonny Ramadhin

 

[Wallaby]

Sutcliffe was more attacking, only reason. Hutton is there to be the anchor, don't need two of them at the top of the order. If Sir Viv was an opener then he would've got the gig.

Hobbs might have been the better player, but I picked the most attacking team I could, but still couldn't find space for Viv!

I think you might want to check your records there, my belief is that Hobbs consistently scored faster than Sutcliffe in their partnerships.

 

[rusdid24]

Well we've been reading different stuff then.

I've read a few articles that say Sutcliffe had a different level he could go to if he wanted.

It's not like I've seen him so I can only go by what I've read them.

 

[Adrian Shelton]

'Ollie' Milburn should be first picked for the Fat Bastards!!!

 

[Ebert80]

Sir Richard Hadlee > Dennis Lillee

I actually agree there.

I'd have Hadlee in my 11.

 

[Spudregus_87]

1. Sir Jack Hobbs
2. Wally Hammond
3. Sir Don Bradman (c)
4. Sir Viv Richards (vc)
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Sir Garry Sobers
7. Adam Gilchrist (wk)
8. Wasim Akram
9. Shane Warne
10. Macolm Marshall
11. Glen McGrath

12th Man: Ricky Ponting

Only really had trouble picking my 2nd opener. Overall, Sir Len Hutton, Brian Lara and a handful of pace bowlers were stiff, but you'll always get that in sides like this. Have only seen archives/scorecards of some (Hobbs, Hammond, Bradman, Sobers) but their records speak true. I think the others just about pick themselves.

Thought the pace trio offers a good mix of pace, accuracy, swing and exceptional strike rates, and anyone who says warne is not the best spin bowler cricket has seen, i believe, is kidding themselves - can't remember anyone questioning his action....and bowls well on ALL surfaces. In the words of Kerry O'Keefe, Warne could "...turn it on ice."

The batting goes as deep as nine, with Akram and Warne's highest test scores of 257* and 99 (which should've been 100, if it hadn't been for a no-ball that wasn't given!), and i elected Ponting as 12th Man as he's the best fielder I've ever seen.

 

[courtjester]

I like Akram in the best ever XI debate. Nice bit of variety with the left arm swing. And a big hitter too.

 

[SouthSwans]

I like Akram in the best ever XI debate. Nice bit of variety with the left arm swing. And a big hitter too.

Waqar > Wasim

FWIW, Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib was the best new ball attack ever.

 

[courtjester]

Who are we comparing them to?

Marshall, Holding, Garner
Lillee, Thompson, Walker (??)
McGrath, Gillespie, Lee
Lindwall, Miller, Davidson
Donald, Pollock, DeVilliers
Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff, Jones

 

[Zemo]

I'll have a crack:

1) Hobb
2) Sutcliffe (and that's it for England)
3) Bradman (no contest)
4) Ponting (surpised no-one's mentioned him. Seems to me to be absurdly under-rated. Ok, he's mainly played at 3, but if you can average near 60 at 3, 4 should not be a problem)
5) G Chappell, W Hammond, V Richards, N Harvey, D Compton, S Tendulkar, B Lara; you could toss a coin here. Today I'll say Chappell. Tomorrow it could easily be Richards.
6) Imran
7) Gilchrist
8) Marshall
9) Warne
10) Lillee
11) Murali (I know that's controversial - and as the ICC says he's legal I'm going to accept that for the sake of this hypothetical, but his record is phenomenal)

Bowlers win matches and I'll back this team to bowl out any opposition. Bradman at 3 gives you two batsmen for the price of one. Imran was an exceptionally talented "backs to the wall" batsman. I've kept Gilly at 7 for that is where he was most dangerous.

Marshall, Lillee and Imran were three outstanding paceman who between them would master all conditions. As the ball gets old, I salivate at the prospect of 30-40 overs unchanged from the two spinning maestros.

O'Reilly, Grimmett and Laker unlucky.

No one mentioned Ponting because he doesn't deserve to be in the top world X1.

What! The Chucker????? YOU"RE NUTS!!!

 

[tomemy]

Jack Hobbs
Herb Sutcliffe
Don Bradman
Wally Hammond
Sachin Tendulkar
Garry Sobers
Adam Gilchrist
Imran Khan
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne
Malcolm Marshall
12th Sid Barnes

You have open with Hobbs and Sutcliffe and the Don picks himself and Hammond if it wasnt for WW2 would have made in excess of 10000 runs plus he made 3 doubles in Australia. Tendulkars record means he has to be there but you could quite easily relace him with Lara or Graham Pollock. Sobers picks himself being the best cricketer to play the game and Gilly the best Keeper/Bat ever also.
Imran Khan in my eyes is second to sobers as the best allrounder and his batting would be a great asset at number 8, Next is Wasim Akram who was a freak and could to anything with the ball plus every great attack needs a left armer to break things up.
Warnie is an automatic selection due to his match winning abilities and i doubt in the history of the game no individual has won more games for his country then warney did. Marshall is a pretty handy number 11 but then in this side i doubt hed get much of bat, but he certainly can open the bowling and would get wickets on any surface in the world.
My 12th Sid Barnes would come into the side on the greentops and wreak havoc, maybe in place of Tendulkar and play Gilly at 6.
Apologies to McGrath G.Pollock Viv and Gavaskar but not Murali he dont deserve to be in any best 11, maybe a cheating 11 he could be captain.

 

[SouthSwans]

Marshall, Holding, Garner
Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff, Jones

Gotta say those two attacks were pretty menacing in their prime. The latter really only for one series, but what a series it was for them.

 

[SBI]

It is such a difficult thing to select guys you've never seen, but I'll give it a whirl.

Hobbs
Gavaskar
Bradman
Headley
Sobers
Pollock
Gilchrist
Imran
Marshall
Ambrose
Muralitharan

Obviously there are a ton of awesome players who miss out and it changes every day. That's my effort today. Originally had Sachin in at four, but realised I missed Sobers.

 

[courtjester]

G. Greenidge
S. Gavaskar
D. Bradman
S. Tendulkar
V. Richards
G. Sobers
A. Gilchrist
S. Warne
C. Ambrose
M. Marshall
D. Lillee

I'm probably a bit biased toward the modern era. Loved watching the modern Australian team and the West Indies in the 80s.

 

[Wicked Lester]

No one mentioned Ponting because he doesn't deserve to be in the top world X1.

What! The Chucker????? YOU"RE NUTS!!!

Thanks for those insightful, well reasoned observations.

Your contribution is highly valued.

 

[Spudregus_87]

Thanks for those insightful, well reasoned observations.

Your contribution is highly valued.

Haha. Seconded

 

[worbod]

Best XI of cricketers who were never chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

Ian Redpath (Australia)
Trevor Goddard (South Africa)
Eddie Barlow (South Africa)
Vijay Hazare (India)
Doug Walters (Australia)
Vijay Manjrekar (India)
Gundappa Viswanath (India)
John Waite (South Africa)
Jeff Thomson (Australia)
Wes Hall (West Indies)
Bishen Bedi (India)

The best Unfortunately Named XI

Arthur Fagg (England)
Geoff Pullar (England)
Imran Farhat (Pakistan)
Tony Pithey (South Africa)
Jack Crapp (England)
Ejaz Faqih (Pakistan)
Arthur Dick (New Zealand)
Des Hoare (Australia)
Fred Root (England)
Shahid Mahboob (Pakistan)
Edward Bastard (England)

 

[omit]

The best Unfortunately Named XI

Arthur Fagg (England)
Geoff Pullar (England)
Imran Farhat (Pakistan)
Tony Pithey (South Africa)
Jack Crapp (England)
Ejaz Faqih (Pakistan)
Arthur Dick (New Zealand)
Des Hoare (Australia)
Fred Root (England)
Shahid Mahboob (Pakistan)
Edward Bastard (England)

no mention of Peter Willy? that's just absurd, his name is now infamous as part of possibly the greatest commentary blunder of all time...well according to urban legend at least

 

[worbod]

That's W-I-L-L-E-Y. You are allowed to post your own cricket teams if you don't like mine. Sorry for attempting to spread a little humour. I apologise for being absurd. Excuse me now while I go and take my anti-absurd medicine and tune in to Dr Phil's Anti-Absurd Behaviour Management Channel.

 

[Wicked Lester]

The best Unfortunately Named XI

Arthur Fagg (England)
Geoff Pullar (England)
Imran Farhat (Pakistan)
Tony Pithey (South Africa)
Jack Crapp (England)
Ejaz Faqih (Pakistan)
Arthur Dick (New Zealand)
Des Hoare (Australia)
Fred Root (England)
Shahid Mahboob (Pakistan)
Edward Bastard (England)

Nice work. Salman Butt for 12th man perhaps?

 

[UpForGrabs]

1. Sunil Gavaskar
2. Gordon Greenidge
3. Sir Donald Bradman
4. Sir Garfield Sobers
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Sir Walter Hammond
7. Adam Gilchrist (w/k)
8. Wasim Akram
9. Malcolm Marshall
10. Shane Warne
11. Curtly Ambrose