Test/ODI teams of the decade

Well? It's late enough this decade that nobody else is going to jump the queue.

Tests

1. Smith
2. Hayden
3. Ponting
4. Lara
5. Dravid
6. Kallis
7. Gilchrist
8. Pollock
9. TGM
10. Steyn
11. McGrath

ODIs

1. Gilchrist
2. Tendulkar
3. Ponting
4. Pietersen
5. Symonds
6. Hussey
7. Flintoff
8. Pollock
9. Lee
10. Bond
11. McGrath

A couple of pretty tidy sides, Ross, and no Chuck in sight.

Ooo, good thread. For one thing it's not about the farking post count.

Most Runs (from 1/1/2000)

Most Wickets (from 1/1/2000)

Aye.

Just realised my ODI side has no spinner. It looks like statistically Hoggggyyyyyy was probably the best spinner this decade so no change to the team.

He is still pretty grouse though and would be a better option than Horrors or Krazy.

Get rid of Smith and Kallis...

Tests

1. Langer
2. Hayden
3. Ponting
4. Lara
5. Dravid
6. Mohammad Yousuf
7. Gilchrist
8. Pollock
9. TGM
10. Steyn
11. McGrath

Can't really argue with those two teams which also shows that England have massively over-achieved this decade, particularly in tests. Having KP and Flintoff in the ODI team is nice but unfortunately for most ODIs we play it may as well have just been those two playingl.

Invader Zim wrote:Get rid of Smith and Kallis...

Today the part of red will be played by...l

It's not always about you...even tho you like to think it is.

Invader Zim wrote:Get rid of Smith and Kallis...

Possibly fair enough, although you're going soft as 12 months ago it would have been Hayden making way for the NLWL, irregardless of who the other opener was. Dravid and Kallis together in the batting order isn't a good idea now that I think about it, either move one of them up the order ahead of Lara or drop one of them for somebody like MoYo or Sanga.

Invader Zim wrote:It's not always about you...even tho you like to think it is.

No, you think it is

Ross wrote:

Invader Zim wrote:Get rid of Smith and Kallis...

Possibly fair enough, although you're going soft as 12 months ago it would have been Hayden making way for the NLWL, irregardless of who the other opener was. Dravid and Kallis together in the batting order isn't a good idea now that I think about it, either move one of them up the order ahead of Lara or drop one of them for somebody like MoYo or Sanga.

Aye, Kallis will draw you more games then he wins thru his selfish go slows...and when you have true all rounders like Pollock and Gilly who needs him?

Tests

1. Smith
2. Hayden
3. Ponting
4. Lara
5. Dravid
6. Kallis
7. Gilchrist
8. Pollock
9. TGM
10. Steyn
11. McGrath

I'd have SRT for Dravid; Sanga for Jackie and Freddie for Pollock. Would also think about Viru for Sooky but I felt sorry for Taips.

Ironic that in the decade when we had a bit of resurgence at test cricket winning the Ashes twice, we have no-one in the test side but 2 in the ODI side which was consistently crap!

Flintoff's test record doesn't stack up against Pollock's especially if you want a bowling all-rounder.

Nah, not saying it does at all. Just the irony of 2 in the JAMODI team

But with McGrath in the team I'd prefer Freddie's pace and hostility.

Invader Zim wrote:Ooo, good thread. For one thing it's not about the farking post count.

Most Runs (from 1/1/2000)

Most Wickets (from 1/1/2000)

Well if this doesn't get OP back then nothing will.

Code:

 G Mcgrath 2000-2007 66 131 2548.4 828 6100 297 8/24 10/27 20.53 2.39 51.4 14 2

Can't help but marvel at the big pig f*cking numbskull.

G'r than TGM

flintoff is one of the few players who defied stats, was better than his record suggested. Would have him over pollock whose peak straddled the two decades. Muralis record in the noughties is immense, nearly 600 wickets at an ATG fast bowlers average and strike rate.

Tests:
hayden
sehwag/smith
ponting
dravid
lara
kallis/yousuf
gilchrist
flintoff
steyn
murali
mcgrath

bond and akhtar should have been in there but steyn gets in. Fast bowling is piss weak compared to a 90s or 80s side. Only TGM stands out.

Not sure about odis.

Hmm, still don't think I'd have Flintoff in the test team ahead of Pollock, although stats don't tell the whole story there is still too big a difference to leave Pollock out in place of Flintoff.

ODIs is a totally different matter though and Flintoff should be one of the first names on the team sheet.

Difference between Pollock and Flintoff; Pollock could usually last a week without breaking down with some sort of an injury.

I notice everybody so far is going for a team with a balance of 6-1-4.

I suppose one reason for that is because the batting reserves are strong while the bowling options are pretty thin.

But I think it's worth considering going with 5 specialist batsmen, one batsman-keeper and five bowlers. It's eminently doable with Gilchrist, Pollock and Flintoff all in the mix.

It's especially handy if you want to include both Warne and Murali. I understand many have a moral objection to picking Murali (I know I do), but this is essentially something of a consensus team and it's hard to pretend he didn't take 500+ wickets over the course of the decade.

With a paucity of fast-bowling options I think it makes sense to use the spinners.

Now, you could argue that with Kallis in the team you already have a fifth-bowling option. But I'd rather have Flintoff as my fifth-bowling option if it doesn't leave the batting exposed.

I also question whether Steyn can be eligible for this team. I know there's not much competition, but he hasn't been around for all that long. He played a total of three tests in the first six years of the decade and a total of nine tests in the first seven years of the decade. Great player that he is, I just find him a little out of place in a team of the decade.

Can we seriously put Bond in a Test XI for the decade? I might be very ignorant, but there are many more who have actually lasted more than a year during this decade.


I'd still have Ambrose over Bond in there.