Greatest World Test Cricket XI (1978 to 2020)

[Deutsch Wolf]

So given we have no Englishmen (and I think on the basis of records, it's fair enough that we don't), how do we think a match would go between the two teams?

Alastair Cook
Graham Gooch (c)
Jonathan Trott
David Gower
Kevin Pietersen
Ben Stokes
Alec Stewart (wk)
Ian Botham
Graeme Swann
Stuart Broad
James Anderson

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

It would be bloody good stuff. Marshall and McGrath to open the hostilities with Akram and Kallis first change and then Warne spinning his way through a boatload of overs is an incredible attack.

The world XI openers are perfectly suited. Hayden is the biff and Smith is the glue. And if there has ever been a better 3,4,5 I would love to see it.

Both teams have serious batting. I think it would be very close.

 

[Tony Towner]

So Aus 4, Windies 3, SA 2, Pak 1, Ind 1

Second 11
Cook
Greenidge
Sangakarra
Ponting
Border
Flower
Hadlee
Holding
Garner
Ambrose
Muralitharan

3 number 11's
WI 4, SL 2, Aus 2, Eng 1, NZ 1, Zim 1

 

[Sniffer]

So given we have no Englishmen (and I think on the basis of records, it's fair enough that we don't), how do we think a match would go between the two teams?

Alastair Cook
Graham Gooch (c)
Jonathan Trott
David Gower
Kevin Pietersen
Ben Stokes
Alec Stewart (wk)
Ian Botham
Graeme Swann
Stuart Broad
James Anderson

We’d need to stick them in on a morning when it’s doing loads and hope to bowl them out cheaply. If we don’t we’re not a match for them.

 

[Sniffer]

So Aus 4, Windies 3, SA 2, Pak 1, Ind 1

Second 11
Cook
Greenidge
Sangakarra
Ponting
Border
Flower
Hadlee
Holding
Garner
Ambrose
Muralitharan

3 number 11's
WI 4, SL 2, Aus 2, Eng 1, NZ 1, Zim 1

What a side that is! Beats England and Would certainly give the first XI a game.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If we're playing at Lord's, can we sneak Chris Woakes in as a maverick, 80s/90s style horses for courses pick? Averages 61 with the bat and 11 with the ball there.

 

[Sniffer]

If we're playing at Lord's, can we sneak Chris Woakes in as a maverick, 80s/90s style horses for courses pick? Averages 61 with the bat and 11 with the ball there.

Broad has a good record there too hasn’t he? Drop Trott, Gower up to 3.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Broad at Lord's:

881 runs @ 29.36 (quite a bit boosted by his only ever hundred!), 94 wickets @ 27.06 (only a bit better than his career average of 28.50).

Jimmy has 103 wickets @ 23.89 at Lord's.

 

[Tony Towner]

If only Dino was posting at the moment...

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Hayden was crap at Lord's.

0
6*
12
34

Great, so play at Lord's, see if we can sneak Woakes in, send them in to bat. We're getting towards a plan.

 

[Tony Towner]

Make Lara the World 11 captain. Feed him filth for 3 days, he'll never declare and you come out with a draw.

 

[Sniffer]

McGrath and Marshall might not need 2 days at Lords.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'll take the time to sort out everyone's record at Lord's:

England:

Cook: 1937 runs @ 43.04
Gooch: 2015 runs @ 53.02, 3 wickets @ 86.33
Trott: 893 runs @ 63.78, 2 wickets @ 49.50
Gower: 1241 runs @ 44.32
Pietersen: 1235 runs @ 56.13, 2 wickets @ 50.50
Stokes: 572 runs @ 47.66, 17 wickets @ 32.52
Stewart: 1476 runs @ 44.72
Botham: 652 runs @ 31.04, 69 wickets @ 24.53
Swann: 259 runs @ 28.77, 40 wickets @ 24.07
Broad: 881 runs @ 29.36, 94 wickets @ 27.06
Anderson: 194 runs @ 12.93, 103 wickets @ 23.89

World XI:

Hayden: 52 runs @ 17.33
G Smith: 411 runs @ 82.20
V Richards: 358 runs @ 71.60
Lara: 126 runs @ 21.00
Tendulkar: 195 runs @ 21.66
Kallis: 54 runs @ 10.80, 6 wickets @ 30.16
Gilchrist: 126 runs @ 42.00
Wasim: 144 runs @ 48.00, 12 wickets @ 33.83
Warne: 35 runs @ 8.75, 19 wickets @ 19.57
Marshall: 71 runs @ 17.75, 20 wickets @ 17.00
McGrath: 30 runs (not dismissed), 26 wickets @ 11.50

Right, I think we can bowl them out cheapishly if anyone knows how to get rid of Graeme Smith. But we may have a problem when they come to bowl. Also it appears that Glenn McGrath becomes an invincible batsman.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

So Aus 4, Windies 3, SA 2, Pak 1, Ind 1

Second 11
Cook
Greenidge
Sangakarra
Ponting
Border
Flower
Hadlee
Holding
Garner
Ambrose
Muralitharan

3 number 11's
WI 4, SL 2, Aus 2, Eng 1, NZ 1, Zim 1

That's some tail!

 

[Deleted Cyber]

So Aus 4, Windies 3, SA 2, Pak 1, Ind 1

Second 11
Cook
Greenidge
Sangakarra
Ponting
Border
Flower
Hadlee
Holding
Garner
Ambrose
Muralitharan

3 number 11's
WI 4, SL 2, Aus 2, Eng 1, NZ 1, Zim 1

That's some tail! Lots of left handers though!

 

[darlowolf64]

Smith for skipper

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

20 wickets at 17.

Bloody hell Marshall was a bit good.