Test Cricket - World Dream Team

Originally posted by mtthw
I think the balance is wrong.

Come to think of it, the earlier team looks a bit bowler heavy as well. Three specialists and four all-rounders, only one of which can definitely hold a place purely on batting. Not sure off the top of my head who I'd replace them with. Greg Chappell?

Originally posted by mtthw
Come to think of it, the earlier team looks a bit bowler heavy as well. Three specialists and four all-rounders, only one of which can definitely hold a place purely on batting. Not sure off the top of my head who I'd replace them with. Greg Chappell?

Hey mtthw.

A question occurred to me the other day.

In baseball it helps to be left-handed. Left-handed hitters and pitchers are valuable.

Is there any advantage to being la left-handed hitter in cricket?

Same question for bowlers?

Baseball has switch-hitters who bat both left and right handed. I'm presuming that doesn't happen in cricket?

Originally posted by Red Night
In baseball it helps to be left-handed. Left-handed hitters and pitchers are valuable.

Is there any advantage to being la left-handed hitter in cricket?

Same question for bowlers?

Baseball has switch-hitters who bat both left and right handed. I'm presuming that doesn't happen in cricket?

Yes, definitely. It's always good to have a LH/RH combination batting, as it makes it harder for the bowler to get into a rhythm as they have to keep changing their line. And having one or two LH bowlers gives your attack more variety, which is also helpful.

Australia in particular seem to have had loads of LH batsmen recently.

I've never seen anyone switch hands for batting or bowling at a serious level (I've known people do it when messing about in friendly cricket). It's fairly common, though, to have someone who bowls with one hand and bats with the other.

Originally posted by mtthw
Yes, definitely. It's always good to have a LH/RH combination batting, as it makes it harder for the bowler to get into a rhythm as they have to keep changing their line. And having one or two LH bowlers gives your attack more variety, which is also helpful.

Australia in particular seem to have had loads of LH batsmen recently.

I've never seen anyone s ...[text shortened]... It's fairly common, though, to have someone who bowls with one hand and bats with the other.

Thanks, that's interesting.

In baseball, it is the curveball that can be so difficult for a like-handed hitter to handle from the pitcher.

Is there a particular type of bowl/pitch that would trouble a like-handed batter more than an opposite-handed batter?

Originally posted by mtthw
Pretty good. I'll suggest a few changes to the "now" team.

I think the balance is wrong. You've got five specialist bowlers and two allrounders. The team doesn't need that much bowling. Kallis can hold a place on his batting alone, but Flintoff can't. So I'd drop Flintoff (or one of the other bowlers, depending on conditions, if the tail needed ...[text shortened]... as a specialist captain. Hayden or Slater would be a better bet. Or maybe Border.

I swapped Tendulkar in and out and honestly couldn't decide.. I did pick Taylor as a darn good opener but as a marvellous capt.. it was his era that saw the great rebuilding of the team after the reign of Alan "grumpy" Border.

I'd be happy with your choice.

Originally posted by mtthw
Come to think of it, the earlier team looks a bit bowler heavy as well. Three specialists and four all-rounders, only one of which can definitely hold a place purely on batting. Not sure off the top of my head who I'd replace them with. Greg Chappell?

Once again I had Chappell in and out of the team.. I loved the guy as an opener.. he was one of my all time idols but Greenwich and Richards opened for Hampshire so successfully for so many years I couldn't break them up.

I think I've ended up with a team for all conditions, one that could give the four specialist bowlers short very fast spells. I think the attack is awesome and would devastate any team today... though I must wonder how they'd go at Lahore against Warne and Muri??? that would be a contest..

I have total faith in getting a century out of at least one of my middle order which includes the reliable Alan Knott. Richard Hadlee was no slug but wasn't considered as a batsman of note.

Yes again for Marshall.. I mucked around so much he should be in in place of Ambrose who is a bit lazy .. esp in the field.

Originally posted by Tirau Dan

Now

Mohammad Yousuf
Mark Taylor (Capt)
Ricky Ponting
Brian Lara
Jacques Kallis
Adam Gilchrist
Andrew Flintoff
Shane Warne
Shaun Pollock
Waqar Younis
Glen Mcgrath
Muttiah Muralidaran

I would change Youssuf for Hayden and Taylor for Tendulkar.
Also, McGrath and Pollock in the same team is not enough 'Shock and Awe'. Either one needs to be replaced by someone quick like Courtney Walsh, Alan Donald, Wasim Akram or one of the newer guys Brett Lee or Shane Bond. I like Bond and if it wasn't for injuries, he would surely rate as one of the best around now...Quick with massive swing. Akram gets the nod from me for his good swing and adding a left arm to the attack.
Flintoff out for Steve Waugh - captain? Maybe Ponting? I like his aggressive style.

Hayden
Tendulkar
Ponting
Lara
Kallis
Waugh
Gilchrist
Akram
Warne
Younis
McGrath - with Pollock in automatically if McGrath got injured
Murali

Originally posted by Crowley
I would change Youssuf for Hayden and Taylor for Tendulkar.
Also, McGrath and Pollock in the same team is not enough 'Shock and Awe'. Either one needs to be replaced by someone quick like Courtney Walsh, Alan Donald, Wasim Akram or one of the newer guys Brett Lee or Shane Bond. I like Bond and if it wasn't for injuries, he would surely rate as one of the be ...[text shortened]...
Akram
Warne
Younis
McGrath - with Pollock in automatically if McGrath got injured
Murali

I like it.. Heyden is like a later version of greg Chappell and Tendulkar just moved into second highest run getter after Lara.
It's hard a very good complete team

What a marvellous match it would be to imagine...
Beautiful weather, a few g & ts and tea with scones!

Anyone want to care to comment on how such a hypothetical game may pan out..

Originally posted by Crowley
I would change Youssuf for Hayden and Taylor for Tendulkar.
Also, McGrath and Pollock in the same team is not enough 'Shock and Awe'. Either one needs to be replaced by someone quick like Courtney Walsh, Alan Donald, Wasim Akram or one of the newer guys Brett Lee or Shane Bond. I like Bond and if it wasn't for injuries, he would surely rate as one of the be ...[text shortened]...
Akram
Warne
Younis
McGrath - with Pollock in automatically if McGrath got injured
Murali

Gee we nearly agree on something
My team would look like

Hayden
Tendulkar
Ponting
Lara
Waugh S
Gilchrist
Akram
Pollock
Warne
Marshall
McGrath

Originally posted by boarman
Gee we nearly agree on something
My team would look like

Hayden
Tendulkar
Ponting
Lara
Waugh S
Gilchrist
Akram
Pollock
Warne
Marshall
McGrath

Well, sure. We both have strong opinions about sports like cricket and rugby, but I don't just disagree with you just for the sake of argument...

Still you would leave out Kallis in your team?
Surely in any 'Dream Team' between the 80s and now, he would select himself? Especially on his current batting form. Of current playing batsman he has the 3rd best average, only less than Ponting and Hussey ...
Him being a great all rounder just sweetens the deal.

Originally posted by Tirau Dan
What a marvellous match it would be to imagine...
Beautiful weather, a few g & ts and tea with scones!

Anyone want to care to comment on how such a hypothetical game may pan out..

A 'timeless' test, now that would be something.

The problem is, I can think of more than 12 people that have to be there. Something's got to give!

Originally posted by mtthw
The problem is, I can think of more than 12 people that have to be there. Something's got to give!

Yup 😉

Of the team I listed, I would play:
Hayden
Tendulkar
Ponting
Lara
Kallis
Gilchrist
Akram
Warne
Younis
McGrath
Murali

Younis and Akram can open the bowling, with McGrath first change and Kallis chipping in with a few. Then the 2 best bowlers the world has ever seen can start ripping it up, with McGrath, mister consistency drying up runs and building pressure.
If the batting team still has some wickets in hand after that, Younis and Akram can come on and reverse swing mop up the tail.

The top 5 batsmen are all top class and all of them are good for at least 40-50 runs each and all of them can easily go on to make 100+ against any bowling.
Gilchrist, Akram and Warne can then add a bunch of quick runs in a tail wag and before you know it, this team will have racked up 400+ in a day and a total of 600+, in pretty quick time, for the innings.

Originally posted by Tirau Dan
What a marvellous match it would be to imagine...
Beautiful weather, a few g & ts and tea with scones!

Anyone want to care to comment on how such a hypothetical game may pan out..

My prediction would depend on the pitch. I reckon the earlier team has the better pace bowling, but Warne and Murali would be terrifying on a turning pitch.

Any suggestions as to where they should play? How about this for a six test series.

Lords
Kensington Oval, Barbados
Eden Gardens
Newlands
Galle
MCG

Improvements? Probably - my knowledge of grounds in other countries isn't great. We're looking for a variety of pitches and grounds, spread geographically.

Originally posted by Crowley
before you know it, this team will have racked up 400+ in a day and a total of 600+, in pretty quick time, for the innings.

Remember they're facing Marshall, Garner, Hadlee, Imran Khan etc!