I am also one of these crazy fans. From many days I was thinking about posting my dream team on this blog .Also about which players should be in my team. And when 2000th test match in the history of cricket was starting & ICC declared there team; I finally decided to post my team. And today(26july 2011) when 2000th test match got over yesterday, I am finally posting my team. I was waiting these days for a perfect occasion, and I think this is perfect occasion for this,on next day after 2000th test match is over!
This is not the only reason for posting my team. Many endless arguments with some of my orkut & fb friends, mostly with Praveen Dixit about the cricket legends also have some share. From Pravin himself I got the idea to post my team on blog as he did.So thank you for that Praveen!
On a serious note these players are really best players on there respective positions. But Before reading my team it is very important to take into account 1 thing. Nobody can include every great player of test cricket in one team. So in my team also many greats had to be left out. As only 12 positions are available in a team .(including 12th man)But for that I will take help of a statement of a coach Knute Rockne:"As a coach, I don't play eleven best, but my best eleven! "(Again thank you Mr. Praveen Dixit!:-P)
So it is My All Time Test Dream Team, which is undoubtedly All Time Greatest Test Team Ever & these 12 players are The All Time Greatest Cricket Players Ever on there positions(Strictly as per my opinion)& this team can beat any team of the earth.(Just assume all players are in there peak)
So Here Is All Time Greatest Test Team Ever :
1. VIRENDRA SEHWAG - One of the most destructive & dominant batsman ever. And the most dominant & destructive opening batsman ever in tests. No opening batsman in tests is as destructive as Sehwag. His strike rate of 82.92 shows how dominantly he plays. He has changed the defination of opening batsman in tests. And in spite of being so destructive, he is not like of those batsman who hits 4 sixes in a row & lose their wicket at 5th ball. His average of over 53 shows that he is not of that type.In spite of scoring fast, he maintained that average. In 85 matches he scored 22 centuries. Also he is among those 2-3 batsman like bradman who have scored 2 Triple Centuries in teat cricket. I would have loved to pick Jack Hobs but he played in just first class more & also he don't have such a dominant batting skills. I need dominant batsman because , At day 4 after tea,If my team comes to bat to chase 400 to win, then he can score 100-150 runs till the end of the day's play so my team will have to chase only 250 in final day & no one can fulfil this need better than Sehwag.
So Here comes Virendra Sehwag to open my team's innings by batting at No.1.
2. SUNIL GAVASKAR - The most technically perfect & the greatest opening batsman ever. The most perfect batsman who first told to his team how to bat.Stood tall against fearsome fast bowlers of West Indies without helmets! When these fast bowlers were breaking many heads, many batsmen lost there eyesight with those bowls. Once Indian captain Bedi declared the innings against West Indies on 95-5 , just to avoid further damages on his batsmen. And in these conditions Gavaskar not only batted without a single ball touching to his body(without helmet again am saying!)but also he is the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in tests. First batsman to break bradman's record of 29 centuries after 40 years & setting his new record of 34 centuries.Also he is useful to avoid the collapse if it happens somehow. Because as someone said, "he just don't bat looking at time, but he bats looking at the calendar!" Again would have loved to pick Victor Trumper, but he don't have any double or triple century & his average is also ver poor i.e. 39.
So here comes Sunil Gavaskar to open the innings with Sehwag by batting at No.2
3. DON BRADMAN ( C ) - Undoubtedly the greatest batsman of all time. Fastest triple century,3 centuries in 3 sessions of a day, astonishing scoring rate,dominated every bowler, only batsman who didn't faced bad patch in his entire career.Lost his important 6 years in second world war & still scored 29 centuries which was a record till 40 years. & his well known average of 99.94 is still a record . In fact no one is even near this average,. There is not a single batsman whose average is even over 65! He is also captain of my team, as he don't have any risk of losing his touch due to pressure of captaincy. As Nevil Cards well known cricket expert once wrote, " If Bradman is in ur team, even in your worst nightmare you can't watch your team losing!"
So greatest batsman of all time Don Bradman comes at No. 3
4. SACHIN TENDULKAR - Again undoubtedly the greatest batsman of all time. Most Runs, Most Centuries, Most Fours,Most Man of Match, Most everything. But What stats can't show is his dominance over all the bowlers in world. His technique & beauty, his art, his answer to every bowler with his bat, his talent of turning match most of the times. Now he can only compared with bradman.
Now the question is who is the best? Bradman or Tendulkar? Well, Bradman is superior in average & his hunger of runs. But Tendulkar is superior in Technique,Beauty & Art in shots which stats can't tell. So Why can't we take in this way? Tendulkar is among one of the two finest batsmen ever who walked on a cricket pitch!(Bradman the other) Enough said !
Standing on a doorstep of 100 international centuries & still going strong , Sachin Tendulkar comes at No.4 to join with Bradman!
5.BRIAN LARA - Leonardo - Da Vinci of modern cricket. As word genius is suitable too Einestine in science , same it also suits to Lara in terms of batting. In his form & tempo what he can do, only god can tell. He 2 times made highest individual score in the history of cricket. First he made 375 which was broken by hayden when he made 380. But lara again made highest score of 400 & which is still a record & no one could touch it. Also he is first player to score 11000 runs in test cricket. A good dominant batsman who can play any bowling attack especially spin bowling.Who ruled on bowling of Murlidharan in Sri Lanka. His innings of 153 not out against Australia which gave a superb victory to West Indies is still a landmark & is a ideal example of how to play in second innings in pressure of winning. It was a tough call between him & Viv Richards about whom to select.But as Viv Richards was weak against quality spin attack with turning wicket and when he will comes to bat in 5th position, ball will be old & it will be time to use spin attack by oppositions and considering the fact Lara is 2nd best in playing spin attack ( Tendulkar 1st), I will go with Lara.
So Brian Lara comes in at No.5
6. GARRY SOBERS - Without any argument Sobers is the best all rounder cricket ever produced. Plus he is the greatest & dominant no.6 batsman. Though he can bat well in any position. The only player who struck 6 sixes in a over in a test match.Many players after so much effort can't do specialisation in even 1 aspect of game. But here Sobers was best in every form. Scored 8000 runs & 27 centuries with bat ( only 2 short than bradman). Took 235 wickets with ball & took 198 catches as a fielder. In bowling he could ball fast with 80 miles p.hour & he was a great spin bowler. What he didn't do in cricket is more easy to answer. The answer is wicket keeping! Rest all he did. It is easy to say why he was greatest all rounder among all. When he took retirement 3 records were in his bag. Most runs, Most wickets & Most catches.
Best all rounder cricket ever produced, Garry Sobers comes in at no.6
7. ALAN KNOTT (WK) - The greatest wicketkeeper of all time. First wicketkeeper in tests who took 250 catches. His Catching & Stumping both were world class.to see his wicketkeeping at its most spectacular, you had to catch him standing up to Derek Underwood on a rain-affected pitch for Kent in county cricket. Most of the time, despite the obvious problems, Knott would take the ball so nimbly he might have been keeping wicket in the indoor nets. As a batsman he learned to put a high price on his wicket, and in only his fourth Test, at Georgetown in 1967-68, he made 73 not out in four hours and helped Colin Cowdrey save the series.
I was Tempted to choose Adam Gilchrist as a wicketkeeper. But in greatest team you should select only greatest players as per my opinion. Adam Gilchrist was good keeper & good batsman but knott was greatest keeper & average batsman.So I decided to select greatest wicketkeeper rather than good keeper, As my bowlers need great wicketkeeper & as my team don't need batsman as it has more than enough dominant batsmen from Sehwag to Sobers.
So greatest wicketkeeper Alan Knott comes in at No. 7 to bat.
8. WASIM AKRAM - Known as the 'King Of Swing' as he can swing the ball in both directions with terrifying speed.He have both Inswing & outswing in his bag. But most deadly are his yorkers. With his yorkers & inswingers ,in his peak he took more wickets as either Lbw or straight clean bold! This shows how deadly his bowling was. WIth lots of spoeed & swing his ball often beat batsman's bat & either hit on his pads for lb or if it swings more, then bold ! But its a still a big question for me that, why his wickets can't match his skill & perfection? (Still wickets are 414 , reasonably good)Anyways! Wasim comes as first change fast bowler as he can easily swing better with old ball.
So a greatest left arm fast bowler cricket ever seen, also can bat well when needed Wasim Akram comes in at No. 8
9. SHANE WARNE - The Magician! Greatest spinner ever in the history of cricket. Second in highest wicket takers list with 708 wickets. But undoubtedly the greatest spinner ever. Had every delivery of leg spinner in his pocket. Turning the ball from leg to off & off to leg ( If you don't belive then still watch Mike Gating's wicket) Flipper, Googly in everything he was unmatchable. In every match he took normally 3-4 wickets. Only genius batsmen could dominate him. Otherwise he was always a hot sauce for any team. My team format is of 3 fast bowlers. But if you think Shane Warne is only spinner, then you are wrong. Because Garry Sobers is always ready to bowl his spin with him.
So undoubtedly one of the compulsary choice in any team & also can bat, Shane Warne comes at No.9.
10. MALCUM MARSHALL - Among one of the greatest fast bowlers & most fearsome fast bowler. If you are playing against my team, I bet you will even fear his pic if you have watched him live or if you have watched video of his bowling!Greatest among the famous West Indian fast bowlers line up.He was not so tall or was not athelatic like other fast bowlers.He was like pistol but having capacity of a nuclear bomb.His ball was not pitching in front of a batsman , it was blasting like a bomb. He took 380 wickets. Looks like very few. But it's not. Considering there was a lot of fearsome fast bowlers like Paterson,Ambroj, Holding, Roberts,Walsh etc. And how we can forget Sobers being bowler himself? So being all these fast bowlers taking there share in wickets, then it can be understood. But his economy rate was just 23.
So as a fearsome fast bowler Marshall becomes the first bowler ( opening bowler) of my team & comes to bat at No.10.
11.GLEN MCGRATH - The most accurate fast bowler ever in test cricket.If there would have been a six sigma( one mistake in a million) rating in cricket, Glenn Mcgrath must have been the first one to get that.He was not a real fast bowler with so much speed.4th highest wicket taker in tests.And Highest wicket taker among the fast bowlers. One ordinary bowler with ordinary speed became the greatest fast bowler just because his pin point accurate bowling.Many great fast bowlers either didn't came in tour of sub continent or those who came became totally unsuccesful in sub continent like lilee in 1987. But Mcgrath's average in sub continent is just 20. And in these conditions where batsman enjoy many things than bowlers.And his overall average is 22. His fights with legend Sachin Tendulkar was one of the finest duels in sporting history.And still remembered by many. Second in all time fast bowlers list. So my all time favourite fast bowler Mcgrath will open my bowling attack along with Marshall.
As he was good with ball , same he was poor with the bat, Glen Mcgrath comes at last position i.e. 11.
Muthayya Murlidharan (12th man) - Legend Offspinner!!! With 800 wickets Highest wicket taker in the cricket. Many say, he can even turn his ball on pitch made of glass.Though Mushtaq invented "Dusra" Murli mastered it. Except Lara no one could dominate him all time. But as my team can have only one spinner I have no choice than keep him as 12th man. But I think I can use some ' tacts' to include him also in a team. Real cricket fans know what these 'Tacts' are!
Now on second thought I can see many gr8s has been left out. Such as Jack hobs( 197 first class centuries & 62000 runs ), Victor Trumper( Grandest of all , can even play on pitch made of a swamp), Viv Richards( Most destructive batsman ever),Jack Kalis ( Greatest 2nd all rounder,below only Sobers)& Anil Kumble ( most underrated bowler ever in tests, 3rd highest in wicket takers & holds the record of taking all 10 wickets in single innings)
But we can easily make team of these players , who will give tough fight to my team.
So Here is my All TIme XI. Needless to say comments & suggestions are most welcome .
48 comments:
Good Team but introduction of Sachin should not turn into argumentation...
Anyhow good team
@Praveen, Thank you very much yar. Ya, agree that I got into emotions when posting abt Sachin.But no one can deny he is greatest. Thank you very much again.
You got emotional about Sachin in introduction of Lara, Warne and Mcgrath.
What I said in Lara's intro is a fact. Even Lara agrees it. Abt mcgrath I just wrote abt duel of him with Sachin. If mentioning name is getting in over emotions, then You got over emotional abt Trumper, Mcgrath in just one introduction i.e. of barnes.
And where I got emotional in Warne case?? I can't understand
With out Rahul Dravid any test team can't be completed
@ Amit sir,
No doubt RD is very great batsman. But this middle order is full. No one can be replaced here. Most importantly, RD bats at no.3. & On same position Don bats. Hw to select RD over Don?
But as I already said, we can easily create a team with such left out greats. And This team will play match against my team :)
Dennis Lillie is defenitly the greatest fast bowler ever. More destructive than Magrath.20 years back the conditions were different. Bowler's pitches, no bowling restrictions, no protective gear.So Viv Richards should get priority over Lara. Against qualitive bowling Len Hutton or Barry Richards should get preference over Sewagh.Automatic choices are Sunny, Don, Sobers,Warne, Marshall.
@Dr. Saji,
Sir,
Yes. Dennis Lilee was among the great fast bowlers. But as I said he failed completely on tour of India. Where Mcgrath's average is great against all fast bowlers. Secondly Lilee suffered back pain in his middle years. And I don't want unfit players in my team.
As for Viv, I already said considering the fact he was weak against spin bowling. And lara is 2nd best spin playing batsman. And for Sehwag , he is more dominant than hutton. Bary richards played very few tests. And it is all time TEST team
Good team selection. Very deep thinking. Good info abt every player. This is ur best test team. So u hav ur own consideration behind this.
May some1 comments against Veeru bt in my opinion he really deserve that.
@Aniket Sir,
Thank you very much for reading minutely & liking my team. Yes Sehwag really deserves as per me bcz in spite of being dominant he scored 2 triple tons. which is not at all easy
@ Kulasya
Veeru hasn't done much outside sub continent and averages around 30 in Teams 2nd innings
I guess there are better openers like Desmond haynes or Gordon Greendage who deserve that opening slot more than him .
Sad that Viv Richards isn't part of the X1 .. His excellent fielding and useful Off spin apart from his fearless and aggressive batting should have put him ahead of Lara
@Girish,
thanks for comment. In test cricket there is vast choice for players.And every opener having some disadvantage also. If Viru hasn't done more outside sub continent ,then there are openers who hasn't done anything in sub continent. It's very hard to choose.
Again I can't understand , why we in case of batsman always look at his 2nd innings. Both innings are equally important.
& yes, abt haynes & greenadge, they wer legends. But for opening there are only 2 spots, and I found these two better than others.
@ Girsih,
for Richards, yes his batting was more aggressive. But Lara is more technical & having more strokes . Again spin factor is also important as I mentioned earlier.In spite of being so much inconsistent he is first scorer of 11000 runs & still having most individual score in his bag.
Second thing is Lara played in that era where his team was weak. Fred truman once said though hutton is better opener than sunny,I say sunny is best. Because he belongs to weaker team, He alone have to fight, he don't have backup, & he had to faced more bouncer & beamers bcz opponent team was not having danger of facing those deliveries by Indian fast (so called ) bowlers. same case for lara
Tracks out side subcontinent are the one which are challenging ... modern day cricket is all about batsmen especially the tracks in Sub continent are placid and are night mares for the bowlers ..
So which chosing the batsmen of modern era .. its vital to look at there performances outside Sub continent
@ 2nd Innings
Yeah .. I very well know that both test innings are equally important
Point I am making here is Veeru who has scored heavily in 1st innings as the ball comes on to the bat nicely in home conditions has failed to cope with the deliveries which tends to keep slow n low as the days progress .
Batsmen in All Time Great X1 must have the capabilities of batting on all conditions and on all surfaces
Great Batsmen can't be too good in aspect of the game and poor in the other just like Veeru's case
==========================
Great in Home Conditions
Average in Away condition
===========================
Mind Blowing in 1st innings
Poor in 2nd Innings of the team
========================
@ Girish,
Sir, you say only tracks outside sub continent are challenging for batsmen??? Pointing is one of the best test batsmen. But his average in India is less than what Harbhajan averages in Australia. And this is just one example.
@ Kulasya
Playing for the weaker team can't be a excuse at all
In that case you need to consider Andy Flower who probably played for the weakest team amongst all other test playing nations
Lara was the kind of player who looked like a champion when on song but was highly inconsistent
Both Team India and W.I needed the sort of player who gets runs more consistently .. Sachin did that to perfection while Lara scored heavily once in a while and was off color for most part of series
I am not trying to compare Sachin n Lara here .. I am pointing at the needs of both Teams
Lara has also failed when the series was alive but made up for it as soon as the series is lost an pressure is off ( His 400 selfish innings is just a example )
With All round abilities of Viv Richards and his consistent run scoring in all parts of the world puts his ahead of Lara
Ok. I will give you another example. Most of fans select Jack hobs as opening batsman. He only played in english conditions & in those pitches. But he didn't played in sub continent. And as you just said batsmen in all time Xi should have the capability to bat in all conditions. then ??
@ Girish,
was expecting that you will comment abt flower :) but flower is also considered as good test batsman. don't 4 get. And lara defiantly having more runs than flower.
And you said about his selfish decisions. First of all am not talking of his captaincy, am just talking abt batting. Cricket is not a temple, where only unselfish guys can come.
& pls don't compare lara with Sachin. Sachin did this more perfectly, bcz he is Sachin:)
@ Kulasya
You are missing a point here ...
Tracks outside home will always be challenging as the surfaces are unlike home and it needs batsmen to adjust to the bounce / movement of the surface and that's where the batsmen are tested
Secondly its not just the tracks but one has to adjust to the extremely different conditions like in Eng, Aus, SA etc
Thirdly , Tracks are always prepared to suit the strengths of the home team and he player has to be extremely good to walk into other countries and tackle the conditions favoring the opposition
Scoring @ home is just not enough as they are bound to score runs in the conditions where they have played all their cricket and more so If u r a player from sub continent where u will get to bat on a placid wkts
Dats the reason why I mentioned the importance of scoring in 2nd innings when the tracks in sub continent have become little difficult with the lack of pace n bounce making the stroke play difficult
Veeru has failed to adjust on those conditions
@ Kulasya
Not getting an opportunity to play is is totally different from failing when the opportunities are presented :)
Dats the difference between Hobbs n Veeru
btw .. I never compared Sachin with Lara and Andy Flower's example was just to tell you that don't give undue advantage to the one's who played for a weaker team by taking the credit away from great players just because they represented a better team
PS : Great players lift their team when they play for a long time ..
@ Girish,
Then , by your opinion who is the best opening batsman, who equally performed in both innings & all around world?
But how can we say, if hobbs may have got the opportunity , he would have score?(ignore grammatical mistakes please).
And pls answer me, who is the best opening batsman as per you?
@ Kulasya
Len Hutton
Herbert Sutcliffe
Gordon Greenidge
Barry Richards (Not played enough)
Jack Hobbes
Gooch
Geoff Boycott (Not recommended as we already have legendary sunny with similar approach ;)
@ Kulasya
If you can choose Veeru
Tell me 1 good reason why
left - right combination of Hayden - Gavaskar is not preferable ??
@ girish,
Coming back to your point:
Jack Hobbs - already explained
Len Hutton -sunny is better than him as he played all over world. Choosing over veeru is also not possible. as viru is dominant & I want at least 1 dominant batsman.
Herbert Sutcliffe- can't say abt his dominance
Gordon Greenidge- same reason
Barry Richards -(Not played enough)
Gooch - sorry very average batsman
@girish,
Sorry viru far better than hayden. Cricketers form viv richards to Ian chappel says, he really destructive opener of tests.We can't underestimate him that much. Hayden played more matches,& strike rate is less
Jack Hobbs inplace of Sehwag for me
It is funny that viv richards the most destructive batsman of all time is out but shewag is there.Desmond Haynes should be the opener.Pls don't go by just Runs scored mostly against weaker teams and scored mostly in sub continent.If you consider matching winning innings and elegance then Lara is defnitely an far better player than sachin and he had no support players in WI but for sachin he had Dravid,Ganguly and lakshman. what about richard hadlee who had taken top order batsmen most of times but wasim takes out low order batsmen.
@Sundar,
Sir, You can't compare Viv Richards with Sehwag. Viru is opener while viv was middle order batsman. And you say Sehwag only scored against weaker teams? Pak, Sl, Eng & Aus are weaker teams? I also would have loved to pick Richards. But whom to exclude? And sorry, Sachin is far better than lara in any criteria including match winner, except highest individual score. Lara was having support of fearsome bowlers like walsh & ambroj till 2000. While Sachin got support of Rd only after 2002. And ganguly & laxman? never gave support to him when needed. Wasim is there because of left hand combination also. And Hadlee got support of conditions in Nz.
@ Abdul,
Thanks for the comment. But may I know, why Hobbs instead of Sehwag? And do you agree about other choices?
well nice team but i wanted PONTING there in it ma frnd.............
@Punter,
Thanks for the comment. I respect your view & Pointing also good players. But whom should I exclude?
Very sorry to say that I am not satisfied with ur team to some extent...No Dravid in the list,Hard to digest ,only one spinner is enough but u selected Murai & warne...... selection of Sehwag is totally rubbish.Gavaskar is a runscorer in testcricket than a match winner
u said best frm 1877,but i dint find any players of that era
My All Time Greatest Test XI:
1.Leonard Hutton
2.RahulDravid
3.DonBradMan
4.SachinTendulkar
5.Brain Lara
6.Garry Sobbers
7.Wasim Akram
8.Alan Knott (WK)
9.Malcum Marshall
10.Glen Mcgrath
11.Muthayya Murlidharan
12.KapilDev
@Hemchand,
Sir,
Thanks for the comment. But as we can see there are only 3 differences between our team. Your team also equally good.Yes Rd should be in the list. But where? He plays at bradman's position. Hw to select Rd over Don? You selected RD as opener . Though he can open, But he is not opener.And I thought regular openers should open. As we don't have scarcity of openers. I selected one spinner only i.e. Warne. Murli is my 12th Man. I can use him if conditions are supporting spinners. I need gavaskar for stability in my team. I thought to include Hobbs & Trumper of 19th century. But found Sehwag & Gavaskar better.
And may I know problem with Sehwag?
ya, RD is also capable as opener,nothing wrong to chose him as opener,even his records speaks...ya its very tough to select every one, Jackhoobs is also grt batsmen.its ok.I welomes ur reply,but evry one has their own opiniuns,so its ok,so no hard feelings :)
No question of hard feelings sir :) Everybody is free to have his own opinion.:)
most of the selection is correct... superbly analysed blog... bt i would like 2 c gilly on WK spot... viru's place also invites arguements.. bt if v luk at current scenario of test matches, whr most of the games get result,, viru is appropriate.. hv not seen garner, sobers, marshal, lilly playing.. bt heard a lot of them...
Thank you for the comment & liking my blog Saumil. Gilly was good But Knott was gr8. But you are right , we heard more abt old cricketers rather than watching. But in all time team, we should take old greats also.
kulasya i respect ur choice of keeper but.. let me tel u,gilly is not at all a average keeper
and saving a game in test as a no.7 batsmen feels really good
,
so any day i wil go for gilly without a second thought..
@ krishna,
I respect ur view too but I didn't say gilly as average keeper I say good keeper , but knott is best . Anyways thanks for the comment. Hope u liked my blog
s kulaysa i really liked ur blog,, hoping further good works from u,, all the best
Thank you
In this team sachin does not deserve place at 4 kallis is there sachin played in much stronger team compared to lara wi team
@Npr,
Sachin & Kalis should not be compared.Sachin played against many different pitches & great bowlers with more average than Kalis. As for India & Wi team comparison Lara was having many much superior bowling attack like Amborse & Walsh . And in batting we all know how Indian team was collapsing after Sachin's wicket. Then what's the use of that strong line up?
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