Indeed. Although his career might not be completely over as he was still a teenager when he got that 5 year ban. He'd be somewhere around 23-24 when he comes back. Sure missing that much time at such an age would cost him but I hope he makes a fresh start in his life and somewhat reaches the heights people predicted.
Cricket Draft - Tests
- Thread starter crappycraperson
- Start date
Nm- Take holding and gilchrist.
No point going overboard with bowling. Also, you need a spinner for the eden test.
No point going overboard with bowling. Also, you need a spinner for the eden test.
Just saw your post about miandad instead of gilly. That's fine too tbh.
Think I am going to go with Miandad. He is far ahead of Gilly.
So it is going to be:
Anwar
Stewart
Kallicharran
Chappell
Miandad
Inzamam
Imran
Coney/Yardley
Holding
Garner
MacGill
Should I play 5 bowlers (Yardley) or play a batsman who can bowl (Coney)? People seem to think 5 bowlers aren't needed here...
Heck, I can even play Jimmy Adams at 7 and drop Imran to 8 if people prize batting that much!
What about
Anwar
Stewart
Kallicharran
Chappell
Miandad
Inzamam
Adams
Imran
Holding
Garner
MacGill
8 is too low for Imran and a bit of a waste of his batting.
That's an awesome fecking team. Marshall and Hadlee together with Any Roberts bouncing the shit out of the opposition and Dujon the ultimate pacer's keeper behind the stumps.
Alright, I just made the draw with akash's help. It will be -
Donaldo vs NM
Aldo vs Interval
Games will start on Monday.
Keep in mind winner of semi can pick only one player from the opposing team.
Donaldo vs NM
Aldo vs Interval
Games will start on Monday.
Keep in mind winner of semi can pick only one player from the opposing team.
After the successful run in the group stages, the team is glad to announce the arrival of two greats of the game - arguably the best opener in this timeframe Sunil Gavaskar and none other than God a.k.a Sachin Tendulkar. The skipper Ponting is chuffed to add these two stalwarts to his side.I doubt much introduction is needed but anyway, Gavaskar played in a time where all time great fast bowlers reigned supreme, and few men stood tall, one of them was Sunny. Against great attacks like the Windies, Aussies, English, Pakis, etc, Gavaskar not only prized his wicket like very few other but also went on to be an absolute run machine, making records that stood till Sachin came and broke them. 34 centuries and over 10k runs is a testimony to him, but more than anything it is his impeccable technique, resilience, mental toughness that proved to be impossible to break down for the very best of them. At this stage in the draft we have some top bowling attacks, so he is exactly the type of man you need to deal with the new ball.
Partnering him would be Sanath Jayasuriya, who can be the more aggressive one in this pair, take the attack to the opposition and specially use his expertise of the subcontinent conditions to milk the bowlers. Also capable of staying on the pitch for long periods he can be vital in the Kolkata test. Following them is Ponting, one of the best number 3s of all time and the innings would be built around him. As always he will play his natural game while staying on the crease for ages and driving the team to a good score. With the platform set by Sunny and Sanath, he will have the license to play his natural game.
At 4, the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. What needs to be said about him? If I start writing his records and achievements we would be here all day. From the age of 16 to 40, 24 years of pleasure, entertainment, emotions, worship, you name it. Undivided admiration from his peers. Bradman himself considers him as good as he was, Lara wants his son to be like Sachin, Viv Richards calls him God. Technically, mentally a superhuman. From his century as a teenager at Perth standing tall over to that tragic game against Pakistan in 99 to the destruction of Shane Warne. Across generations and eras there is one man who continued to defy age, defy the pressure of a billion cricket fanatics. The whole batting will revolve around him and Ponting, both capable of staying on the pitch for ages and keep scoring.
Martin Crowe comes in next. a superstar batsman of his generation and a beautiful stroke maker, he will use his world class technique and temperament to continue the work done by the top order. At 5 is the talented Darren Lehmann, didn't play much due to stiff competition but he was a brilliant player of pace and great against short pitched bowling. Also technically good enough to survive on tough conditions.In bowling, the attack is led by one of the best fast bowlers of all time, Glenn McGrath. Holding the record of most test wickets for a fast bowler, McGrath as we all know showed control and accuracy of line and length like no other, could land the ball on the same spot 6 times in a row and still move it both ways. More often than not he will take early wickets. Partnering him will be the Aussie workhorse, Merv Hughes. Glorious moustache aside, Hughes was a tireless bowler who was the mainstay of the Aussie bowling at his peak. With McGrath controlling one end, Hughes has the license to attack the batsmen and force errors with his variety of bowling. First change would be Ian Bishop, if not for injuries he would have been in the same bracket as the other WI greats, certainly cut from the same cloth, Bishop generated electric pace and struck fear in the batsmen's eyes. Last, but not the least, is IMO the greatest spinner of all time : Shane Warne. Nothing much needs to be said, could turn the ball on any surface and had the intelligence and tact to get any batsman out. All in all the bowling has balance to it with McGrath being the accurate one who can move it both ways, Hughes using his variety and attack mindedness while Bishop providing sheer pace and bounce. Jayasuriya and Lehmann can provide spells to give a rest to these bowlers.
Boucher is the wicket keeper in the team who holds the record for most test dismissals, and as a pure wicketkeeper, one of the best in the game.
To win a test match you need to take 20 wickets and I believe my attack is capable of it, being suited to all surfaces and against most type of batsmen. The batting his enough class to make totals good enough for these bowlers to defend. And the captain is a cunning **** who will go to any lengths to get his team the win.
The sub is Wasim Raja, a majestic stroke player and a useful bowler, Raja played the game in great spirit and entertained the crowds. He will come in for Darren Lehmann if the game is being played on a subcontinent track.
Good luck, IL.
PM'd crappy with write up
After the nail biting encounter in the series against IL which went to the last session of the last match, the team has had a massive morale boost by coming out as winners from such a tight situation. Moreover, they are delighted to see the Sultan of Swing Wasim Akram join the ranks and take the bowling unit to another level.I doubt much introduction is needed but anyway, Gavaskar played in a time where all time great fast bowlers reigned supreme, and few men stood tall, one of them was Sunny. Against great attacks like the Windies, Aussies, English, Pakis, etc, Gavaskar not only prized his wicket like very few other but also went on to be an absolute run machine, making records that stood till Sachin came and broke them. 34 centuries and over 10k runs is a testimony to him, but more than anything it is his impeccable technique, resilience, mental toughness that proved to be impossible to break down for the very best of them. At this stage in the draft we have some top bowling attacks, so he is exactly the type of man you need to deal with the new ball.
Partnering him would be Sanath Jayasuriya, who can be the more aggressive one in this pair, take the attack to the opposition and specially use his expertise of the subcontinent conditions to milk the bowlers. Also capable of staying on the pitch for long periods he can be vital in the Kolkata test. Following them is Ponting, one of the best number 3s of all time and the innings would be built around him. As always he will play his natural game while staying on the crease for ages and driving the team to a good score. With the platform set by Sunny and Sanath, he will have the license to play his natural game.
At 4, the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. What needs to be said about him? If I start writing his records and achievements we would be here all day. From the age of 16 to 40, 24 years of pleasure, entertainment, emotions, worship, you name it. Undivided admiration from his peers. Bradman himself considers him as good as he was, Lara wants his son to be like Sachin, Viv Richards calls him God. Technically, mentally a superhuman. From his century as a teenager at Perth standing tall over to that tragic game against Pakistan in 99 to the destruction of Shane Warne. Across generations and eras there is one man who continued to defy age, defy the pressure of a billion cricket fanatics. The whole batting will revolve around him and Ponting, both capable of staying on the pitch for ages and keep scoring.
Martin Crowe comes in next. a superstar batsman of his generation and a beautiful stroke maker, he will use his world class technique and temperament to continue the work done by the top order. At 5 is the talented Darren Lehmann, didn't play much due to stiff competition but he was a brilliant player of pace and great against short pitched bowling. Also technically good enough to survive on tough conditions.
In bowling, the attack is led by one of the best fast bowlers of all time, Glenn McGrath. Holding the record of most test wickets for a fast bowler, McGrath as we all know showed control and accuracy of line and length like no other, could land the ball on the same spot 6 times in a row and still move it both ways. More often than not he will take early wickets. Partnering him would be the legendary Wasim Akram. Capable of controlling the ball like no one else could, moving it both ways, cunning yorkers, expert in reverse swing with the old ball, and a highly tactically efficient brain to surprise any batsman with the huge variety and ability he possesses, he would be deadly alongside McGrath. This opening pair should get through the opposition's top order a fair few times and that will give me a huge advantage. First change would be Ian Bishop, if not for injuries he would have been in the same bracket as the other WI greats, certainly cut from the same cloth, Bishop generated electric pace and struck fear in the batsmen's eyes. Last, but not the least, is IMO the greatest spinner of all time : Shane Warne. Nothing much needs to be said, could turn the ball on any surface and had the intelligence and tact to get any batsman out. All in all the bowling has balance to it with McGrath being the accurate one who can move it both ways, Akram using his swing, pace and variety to attack the batsman with full license while Bishop providing sheer pace and bounce. Jayasuriya, Sachin and Lehmann can provide spells to give a rest to these bowlers.
Boucher is the wicket keeper in the team who holds the record for most test dismissals, and as a pure wicketkeeper, one of the best in the game.
To win a test match you need to take 20 wickets and I believe my attack is capable of it, being suited to all surfaces and against most type of batsmen. The batting his enough class to make totals good enough for these bowlers to defend. And the captain is a cunning **** who will go to any lengths to get his team the win.
The sub is Wasim Raja, a majestic stroke player and a useful bowler, Raja played the game in great spirit and entertained the crowds. He will come in for Darren Lehmann if the game is being played on a subcontinent track.
Good luck, Donaldo.
When I looked at making the team in this draft, I aimed for balance, and a mix of top quality aggressive batsmen and bowlers capable of winning matches and a stability required at the highest level of the sport. After the league rounds, I have acquired Imran Khan, Malcolm Marshall and Brian Lara, and a very sore penis.
Matthew Hayden
Justin Langer
Rahul Dravid
Brian Lara
Aravinda De Silva
Imran Khan
Jeff Dujon
Daniel Vettori
Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Andy Roberts
Matthew HAYDEN - One very burly half of probably the greatest opening combo in Test cricket. The sheer number of matches Hayden bludgeoned mercilessly away from the opposition established his credentials as a matchwinner, not just as a slogger at the top of the order. His strength lay in carrying an excellent run of form through the series, scoring at a rapid rate and hitting centuries in succession.
He smashed 30 centuries, hitting 8625 runs overall at 50.73.
Justin LANGER - The biggest mistake any opposition would make was to underestimate Langer as a grafter and blocker and focus their efforts on Hayden. An extremely accomplished strokemaker, Langer hit 23 centuries, with 7697 runs overall at 45 plus.
Rahul Dravid - I was thrilled to get him in this draft because I've wanted him in my team for the past two drafts. To my mind, among the top 3 Test batsmen of our generation, and one of the best No. 3's in this draft. A proven matchwinner, he has 36 centuries across the globe, with an astounding 21 away from home. Average of 52.33 with 13288 runs.
Brian Charles Lara - The sort of batsman you want to write the full name of. A legend of the game, and possibly one of the greatest batsmen of all time. Lara had no discernible weaknesses when in full flow, and his performances propped a largely average Windies sides of the 90s and 00s to memorable victories against the powerhouses of world cricket. When he scored, he went for the monstrous scores and total humiliation of the opposing attacks, a highlight of all my top order batsmen. A genius of the sport, he has enough testimonials from fellow legends to have me bleating on. 34 centuries, 11953 runs.
Aravinda de Silva - One of the greatest Sri Lankan batsmen, a batting mainstay in the 80s and 90s for an evolving Lankan team. His attacking prowess is well known, but he possessed a strong defensive mindset, and played some of the greatest fast bowlers of the time with great skill. 20 centuries at what seems to be a relatively low average of 43, but at a time when such averages were the key signs of a world class player.Averages 48 at Number 5.
Imran Khan - Imran and his swiveling hips add the final awesome flourish to the beauty and pure deadliness of my bowling attack. The sort of bowler who could reverse at will, and mentor to the two W's, Imran was as deadly with the new ball as he was with the old. A very good batsman in his own right, he averaged a phenomenal 50 with the bat between 1982 and 1992, and of course, 19 with the ball.
Averaged 22.81, and took 362 wickets @ a strike rate of 53
Averaged 37.69, scored 3800 runs and made 6 100s
Jeff Dujon - One of the top three keepers in the draft, IMO, and one of the finest of all time. At number 7, he comes in with an average of 32, and 5 Test centuries. And he's not going to drop anything. No chance.
Daniel Vettori - One of the most underrated Test cricketers, I feel.Blessed with a keen cricketing brain, Vettori has a stupendous record given that he plays and has played for a largely mediocre to decent outfit. 360 wickets, with 20 fifers and 3 tenners. On his way to being in the elite few who have 4000 runs and 400 wickets. 6 Test centuries at No. 8. My god.
Richard Hadlee - One of the all time greats and a legend of the sport. Having him and Imran in the same team is the stuff dreams are made of. He would walk into most all time XI's. 431 wickets at a ridiculous 22.2. 36 fifers, 9 tenners. 2 Test centuries.
Malcolm Marshall - The Greatest in the Windies quartet, and lays a claim for the greatest of all time. I certainly think so, at least. From cricinfo,
" Malcolm Marshall slithered to the crease on the angle, pitter-pat feet twinkling as if in dancing shoes. It was reminiscent of a sidewinder on the attack. Purists occasionally criticised his action as too open, but it had method: he maintained mastery of orthodox outswing and inswing from a neutral position without telegraphing his intent. He was lithe, with a wickedly fast arm that elevated him to express status. Only in inches was he lacking - but he even turned that to his advantage with a bouncer as malicious as they come, skidding on to the batsman. Later in his career, he developed a devastating legcutter which he used on dusty pitches. Allied to a massive cricket intelligence, stamina and courage, Marshall had all the toys and he knew how and when to play with them. His strike rate of 46.22 was phenomenal, his average of 20.95 equally so. He may well have been the finest fast bowler of them all.
In 1984, he broke his left thumb while fielding early in the match, but first of all batted one-handed, hitting a boundary and allowing Larry Gomes to complete a century, and then, with his left hand encased in plaster, he shrugged off the pain to take 7 for 53. Four years later, on an Old Trafford wicket prepared specifically for spinners, he adjusted his sights, pitched the ball up, and swung and cut it to such devastating effect that he took 7 for 22. Let that be a lesson, he seemed to be saying, and indeed it was. The whole cricket world mourned his tragically early death, from cancer, at 41."
376 wickets at 20.94, strike rate a staggering 46. My super trump card for all cricket games as a kid.
Andy Roberts - One of the greatest fast bowlers ever. I watched and adored him as a kid because my family was obsessed with the Windians. Superb control of the cricket ball, a phenomenal brain. Roberts, Hadlee, Khan and Marshall. I'd be saying my prayers as an opposition batsman. Average of 25, with a strike rate of 55.
Subs:
Allan Lamb - Tough as nails, technically excellent, 14 Test hundreds, and a whopping 89 first class hundreds against some top quality international bowling. The legendary West Indian fast bowlers were a brand he particularly relished, and he scored 6 out of his 14 hundreds against them. A valuable no.5 batsman to have.
Big Bruce Reid - As tall as Garner, and at his peak, as dangerous. In a career riddled with injuries, big Bruce had a career average of 24 odd, and a strike rate of 55. International class by any standard.
Hansie Cronje - Captain at 24, Hansie led SA to 27 victories and 11 losses in 53 Tests. A fantastic number 6 to have, with an average of 36, and 6 centuries. A career he threw away as he gave way to avarice, and that would remain the lasting regret for anyone who ever thinks of Hansie Cronje and remembers his battle of wits and technique with the best bowlers of the 90s. A handy bowler, he bowled regularly for SA with an average of 29.
This is a team which wouldn't even consider defeat as an option. I'll be going from the jugular from ball one, whether it's Haydos and Langer opening the batting or Marshall, Roberts, Imran and Hadlee bowling. All absolute legends, and a selection of some of the smartest cricketing brains ever.
I'll reserve my judgements and responses on the oppositions stratagem. Personally I feel this team would be nigh on impossible to beat.
All the best.
Matthew Hayden
Justin Langer
Rahul Dravid
Brian Lara
Aravinda De Silva
Imran Khan
Jeff Dujon
Daniel Vettori
Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Andy Roberts
Matthew HAYDEN - One very burly half of probably the greatest opening combo in Test cricket. The sheer number of matches Hayden bludgeoned mercilessly away from the opposition established his credentials as a matchwinner, not just as a slogger at the top of the order. His strength lay in carrying an excellent run of form through the series, scoring at a rapid rate and hitting centuries in succession.
He smashed 30 centuries, hitting 8625 runs overall at 50.73.
Justin LANGER - The biggest mistake any opposition would make was to underestimate Langer as a grafter and blocker and focus their efforts on Hayden. An extremely accomplished strokemaker, Langer hit 23 centuries, with 7697 runs overall at 45 plus.
Rahul Dravid - I was thrilled to get him in this draft because I've wanted him in my team for the past two drafts. To my mind, among the top 3 Test batsmen of our generation, and one of the best No. 3's in this draft. A proven matchwinner, he has 36 centuries across the globe, with an astounding 21 away from home. Average of 52.33 with 13288 runs.
Brian Charles Lara - The sort of batsman you want to write the full name of. A legend of the game, and possibly one of the greatest batsmen of all time. Lara had no discernible weaknesses when in full flow, and his performances propped a largely average Windies sides of the 90s and 00s to memorable victories against the powerhouses of world cricket. When he scored, he went for the monstrous scores and total humiliation of the opposing attacks, a highlight of all my top order batsmen. A genius of the sport, he has enough testimonials from fellow legends to have me bleating on. 34 centuries, 11953 runs.
Aravinda de Silva - One of the greatest Sri Lankan batsmen, a batting mainstay in the 80s and 90s for an evolving Lankan team. His attacking prowess is well known, but he possessed a strong defensive mindset, and played some of the greatest fast bowlers of the time with great skill. 20 centuries at what seems to be a relatively low average of 43, but at a time when such averages were the key signs of a world class player.Averages 48 at Number 5.
Imran Khan - Imran and his swiveling hips add the final awesome flourish to the beauty and pure deadliness of my bowling attack. The sort of bowler who could reverse at will, and mentor to the two W's, Imran was as deadly with the new ball as he was with the old. A very good batsman in his own right, he averaged a phenomenal 50 with the bat between 1982 and 1992, and of course, 19 with the ball.
Averaged 22.81, and took 362 wickets @ a strike rate of 53
Averaged 37.69, scored 3800 runs and made 6 100s
Jeff Dujon - One of the top three keepers in the draft, IMO, and one of the finest of all time. At number 7, he comes in with an average of 32, and 5 Test centuries. And he's not going to drop anything. No chance.
Daniel Vettori - One of the most underrated Test cricketers, I feel.Blessed with a keen cricketing brain, Vettori has a stupendous record given that he plays and has played for a largely mediocre to decent outfit. 360 wickets, with 20 fifers and 3 tenners. On his way to being in the elite few who have 4000 runs and 400 wickets. 6 Test centuries at No. 8. My god.
Richard Hadlee - One of the all time greats and a legend of the sport. Having him and Imran in the same team is the stuff dreams are made of. He would walk into most all time XI's. 431 wickets at a ridiculous 22.2. 36 fifers, 9 tenners. 2 Test centuries.
Malcolm Marshall - The Greatest in the Windies quartet, and lays a claim for the greatest of all time. I certainly think so, at least. From cricinfo,
" Malcolm Marshall slithered to the crease on the angle, pitter-pat feet twinkling as if in dancing shoes. It was reminiscent of a sidewinder on the attack. Purists occasionally criticised his action as too open, but it had method: he maintained mastery of orthodox outswing and inswing from a neutral position without telegraphing his intent. He was lithe, with a wickedly fast arm that elevated him to express status. Only in inches was he lacking - but he even turned that to his advantage with a bouncer as malicious as they come, skidding on to the batsman. Later in his career, he developed a devastating legcutter which he used on dusty pitches. Allied to a massive cricket intelligence, stamina and courage, Marshall had all the toys and he knew how and when to play with them. His strike rate of 46.22 was phenomenal, his average of 20.95 equally so. He may well have been the finest fast bowler of them all.
In 1984, he broke his left thumb while fielding early in the match, but first of all batted one-handed, hitting a boundary and allowing Larry Gomes to complete a century, and then, with his left hand encased in plaster, he shrugged off the pain to take 7 for 53. Four years later, on an Old Trafford wicket prepared specifically for spinners, he adjusted his sights, pitched the ball up, and swung and cut it to such devastating effect that he took 7 for 22. Let that be a lesson, he seemed to be saying, and indeed it was. The whole cricket world mourned his tragically early death, from cancer, at 41."
376 wickets at 20.94, strike rate a staggering 46. My super trump card for all cricket games as a kid.
Andy Roberts - One of the greatest fast bowlers ever. I watched and adored him as a kid because my family was obsessed with the Windians. Superb control of the cricket ball, a phenomenal brain. Roberts, Hadlee, Khan and Marshall. I'd be saying my prayers as an opposition batsman. Average of 25, with a strike rate of 55.
Subs:
Allan Lamb - Tough as nails, technically excellent, 14 Test hundreds, and a whopping 89 first class hundreds against some top quality international bowling. The legendary West Indian fast bowlers were a brand he particularly relished, and he scored 6 out of his 14 hundreds against them. A valuable no.5 batsman to have.
Big Bruce Reid - As tall as Garner, and at his peak, as dangerous. In a career riddled with injuries, big Bruce had a career average of 24 odd, and a strike rate of 55. International class by any standard.
Hansie Cronje - Captain at 24, Hansie led SA to 27 victories and 11 losses in 53 Tests. A fantastic number 6 to have, with an average of 36, and 6 centuries. A career he threw away as he gave way to avarice, and that would remain the lasting regret for anyone who ever thinks of Hansie Cronje and remembers his battle of wits and technique with the best bowlers of the 90s. A handy bowler, he bowled regularly for SA with an average of 29.
This is a team which wouldn't even consider defeat as an option. I'll be going from the jugular from ball one, whether it's Haydos and Langer opening the batting or Marshall, Roberts, Imran and Hadlee bowling. All absolute legends, and a selection of some of the smartest cricketing brains ever.
I'll reserve my judgements and responses on the oppositions stratagem. Personally I feel this team would be nigh on impossible to beat.
All the best.
All the best Aldo.
Erm, crappy?
Your bowling line up will flatten opposition.
Starting this soon
You forgot to post my team.....