Best side for each decade.

JGK wrote:
Freeman gets picked on potential?

No, he picked up 66 wickets @ 25 in the decade - far superior in terms of average and S/R to Mailey. As I say, it's well up for debate.

Just for the record. Hah, 'Just For The Record'... you Aussies remember that?

Code:


Player    Mat Wkts  Ave  Econ  5  10
AA Mailey  21 99    33.91 3.29  6  2
AP Freeman  12 66    25.86 2.74  5  3
CV Grimmett 9  47    32.34 2.39  5  1


There's the candidates.

Hass wrote:I'll start with the most recently completed decade - the 90's:

1. Graham Gooch
2. Saeed Anwar
3. Brian Lara
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Steve Waugh
6. Aravinda De Silva
7. Ian Healy (w/k)
8. Wasim Akram
9. Shane Warne
10. Curtley Ambrose
11. Glenn McGrath

.

Looks about right to me Hass.

Aravinda is tricky - his 90s stats are skewed by his magnificent year in 1997 on a few featherbeds. Having said that. I always rated him and really his career ave didn't do him justice. Ditto Mark Waugh who would warrant a mention (once his fielding and bowling is added) if Aravida gets one.

One guy who was really underrated IMO was MArtin Crowe who had a superb record given his career spanned the golden era of fast bowling.


As for Anwar vs others - I think there is no clear cut choice here. Anwar is as good a choice as Slater, Kirsten or Taylor.

JGK wrote:

Also, if you were picking a bowling attack, you'd not want Curtley and Mcgrath in the same team IMO.

WTF?

Have a look at the context. Why have Mcgrath and Curtley in the same team and leave out one of Donald (Extreme pace) and Wasim. Variation is the key!

I agree holcs...a pace attack of Ambrose/Wasim/Donald is better than Ambrose/McGrath/Wasim due to the variation. No need for McGrath in the 90s team since Ambrose was a similar bowler, albeit he bowled at a greater pace.

I actually view Ambrose and Donald as being more similar than Ambrose and McGrath.

Ambrose and McGrath share the fact that they were accurate and delivered the ball from a high angle.

But Ambrose and Donald were both the type of bowler who could go on a rampage, bowling very fast and scaring the living daylights out of the batsmen.

For most of his career Ambrose was every bit the "strike bowler" that Donald was. McGrath was never your traditional "strike bowler" even though he did the job of one just as effectively.

The fact Ambrose was still able to pick up wickets with great control and seam movement after his pace had left him doesn't change the fact that for most of his career he was the most fearsome bowler in the game.

Hass wrote:I actually view Ambrose and Donald as being more similar than Ambrose and McGrath.

Ambrose and McGrath share the fact that they were accurate and delivered the ball from a high angle.

But Ambrose and Donald were both the type of bowler who could go on a rampage, bowling very fast and scaring the living daylights out of the batsmen.

For most of his career Ambrose was every bit the "strike bowler" that Donald was. McGrath was never your traditional "strike bowler" even though he did the job of one just as effectively.

The fact Ambrose was still able to pick up wickets with great control and seam movement after his pace had left him doesn't change the fact that for most of his career he was the most fearsome bowler in the game.

Aye, which is why I would have Donald and Ambie with Wasim.

Basically IMO, Ambie was Mcgrath but with the added bonus that he could put the shoites right up the batsman, but was as accurate and frugal at the same time.

It was a great era for pace bowling, so why not just have 4 pacers and be done with it. Would be a bit harsh on Warne, but he probably wasn't one of the 4 best bowlers of that decade, so -

Wasim
Donald
Ambrose
Waqar/Mcgrath

could be the better way to go. Tendulkar can bowl leggies if required.

Geez, not calling Warne one of the four best bowlers of the 90's is a bit rough.

He was at his peak from 1993 until his shoulder gave out in 1998.

The only dud series I can remember him having during that time was 1995/6 against Sri Lanka and that was in the same summer he destroyed the Pakistanis.

Leaving out one of the quicks isn't easy, but leaving out Warne is impossible.

but leaving out Warne is impossible.

aye! How many "probable draws" did he convert to wins?

I reckon Alec Stewart should be Anwar's 90s opening partner, and Heals should be keeper.

Over the whole decade of the 90s, Stewart played 38 tests as an opener without the keeping gloves, scoring 2943 runs @ 45.98, including 8 centuries and 15 fifties. Against the four best attacks of the era (Australia, Pakistan, South Africa & West Indies) he scored 2098 of those runs at a combined average of 47.68. If we make it all matches where he batted in the top 3 and didn't keep wickets, the respective numbers are 3533 @ 46.48 and 2279 @ 46.51.

I'd also be inclined towards including Chris Cairns at 6 over any of the plethora of bats mentioned above. Over the course of the decade he amassed 2543 runs @ 33.02 and claimed 171 wickets @ 28.85. Star performer in a weak side.

My 90s team would be:

1. Saeed ANWAR
2. Alec STEWART
3. Brian LARA
4. Sachin TENDULKAR
5. Steve WAUGH
6. Chris CAIRNS
7. Ian HEALY (wk/c)
8. WASIM Akram
9. Shane WARNE
10. Curtly AMBROSE
11. Allan DONALD

Donald v McGrath is a tough one. I might call it differently another day. Heals is skipper cos he's a Queenslander and we rule.

Leo wrote:I reckon Alec Stewart should be Anwar's 90s opening partner, and Heals should be keeper.

Over the whole decade of the 90s, Stewart played 38 tests as an opener without the keeping gloves, scoring 2943 runs @ 45.98, including 8 centuries and 15 fifties. Against the four best attacks of the era (Australia, Pakistan, South Africa & West Indies) he scored 2098 of those runs at a combined average of 47.68. If we make it all matches where he batted in the top 3 and didn't keep wickets, the respective numbers are 3533 @ 46.48 and 2279 @ 46.51.

I'd also be inclined towards including Chris Cairns at 6 over any of the plethora of bats mentioned above. Over the course of the decade he amassed 2543 runs @ 33.02 and claimed 171 wickets @ 28.85. Star performer in a weak side.

My 90s team would be:

1. Saeed ANWAR
2. Alec STEWART
3. Brian LARA
4. Sachin TENDULKAR
5. Steve WAUGH
6. Chris CAIRNS
7. Ian HEALY (wk/c)
8. WASIM Akram
9. Shane WARNE
10. Curtly AMBROSE
11. Allan DONALD

Donald v McGrath is a tough one. I might call it differently another day. Heals is skipper cos he's a Queenslander and we rule.

Where's Ramps?

Leo actually read Ramps's test stats properly for once.

Donald - as magnificent a bowler as he was - was also soft as. McGrath would always be the better option in a best of team.

JGK wrote:Donald - as magnificent a bowler as he was - was also soft as. McGrath would always be the better option in a best of team.

Aussie in crappy attempt to justify McGrath's selection

taipan wrote:

Leo wrote:I reckon Alec Stewart should be Anwar's 90s opening partner, and Heals should be keeper.

Over the whole decade of the 90s, Stewart played 38 tests as an opener without the keeping gloves, scoring 2943 runs @ 45.98, including 8 centuries and 15 fifties. Against the four best attacks of the era (Australia, Pakistan, South Africa & West Indies) he scored 2098 of those runs at a combined average of 47.68. If we make it all matches where he batted in the top 3 and didn't keep wickets, the respective numbers are 3533 @ 46.48 and 2279 @ 46.51.

I'd also be inclined towards including Chris Cairns at 6 over any of the plethora of bats mentioned above. Over the course of the decade he amassed 2543 runs @ 33.02 and claimed 171 wickets @ 28.85. Star performer in a weak side.

My 90s team would be:

1. Saeed ANWAR
2. Alec STEWART
3. Brian LARA
4. Sachin TENDULKAR
5. Steve WAUGH
6. Chris CAIRNS
7. Ian HEALY (wk/c)
8. WASIM Akram
9. Shane WARNE
10. Curtly AMBROSE
11. Allan DONALD

Donald v McGrath is a tough one. I might call it differently another day. Heals is skipper cos he's a Queenslander and we rule.

Where's Ramps?

lol...re inclusion of stewart and swaugh...i'd have mcgrath ahead of donald...taylor or even slats in ahead of stewart...and boon in earlier in the order dropping swaugh

taipan wrote:

JGK wrote:Donald - as magnificent a bowler as he was - was also soft as. McGrath would always be the better option in a best of team.

Aussie in crappy attempt to justify McGrath's selection

OK how about:

McGrath is just the better bowler.

JGK wrote:

taipan wrote:

JGK wrote:Donald - as magnificent a bowler as he was - was also soft as. McGrath would always be the better option in a best of team.

Aussie in crappy attempt to justify McGrath's selection

OK how about:

McGrath is just the better bowler.

Makes more sense than m,anufactured BS about Donald being soft.

JGK wrote:

taipan wrote:

JGK wrote:Donald - as magnificent a bowler as he was - was also soft as. McGrath would always be the better option in a best of team.

Aussie in crappy attempt to justify McGrath's selection

OK how about:

McGrath is just the better bowler.

No brainer . . .


. . . McGrath being better, not taips . . .



. . . oh, wait . . .

...mcgrath was an out and out champ to all bats and on any wicket..

horace wrote:...mcgrath was an out and out champ to all bats and on any wicket..

Except the time I took 50 off him in about 3 overs

JGK wrote:
OK how about:

McGrath is just the better bowler.

In a 90's context, no. No he wasn't.

Differences in averages in the 90s are immaterial and my comments on Donald being soft still stand.

One guy who was really underrated IMO was MArtin Crowe who had a superb record given his career spanned the golden era of fast bowling.

Yeah Crowe definetly warrants a mention. He averaged mid 40's despite playing a lot of his cricket on dodgy NZ green seamers. Steve Waugh once said that Crowe would have averaged 50+ if he was an Aussie. However, the peak of his career was the mid to late 80's, not the 90's.

JGK wrote:Differences in averages in the 90s are immaterial and my comments on Donald being soft still stand.

It's a meaningless comment.