ESPN Legends of Cricket on Cricinfo

I assume they'll form an XI with one or two players from each nation...

It'll be interesting to see which player they pick next. Not sure who they'll pick from Sri Lanka though...Aravinda de Silva?

This is the current four...on a potential XI.

1. ????
2. Jack Hobbs (England)
3. ????
4. ????
5. Allan Border (Australia)
6. ????
7. ????
8. Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
9. Kapil Dev (India)
10. ????
11. ????

Is this the actual team to date? What criteria are they applying? As much as I love AB, I don't see him getting in such a team just for his batting.

Dunno, JGK, it's just the players ESPN have picked thus far, I was just putting them into a potential XI.


Aravinda de Silva, good player? No? Although I noticed he cashed in against a young Bangladeshi side in 2002. hmmm.

these are from the espn legends of cricket series. top 50 i think

That was my take

Well DGB at 3 and Viv at 4. Is two the limit per country? Sobers at 6? Who was the best keeper in ESPN's top 50? Warnie at 10?

Skulls there has been no indication that they are picking a team let alone limiting it to 2 per country

They are just going through the TV series as TO said

I think Taips and The One are taking this far too farking seriously.

Didn't realise people needed to be spoon fed the information.

ESPN Best Test Team
Openers Barry Richards, Sunil Gavaskar
Middle-Order Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Vivian Richards
All-Rounder Garfield Sobers
Wicket-Keeper Adam Gilchrist*
Spinner Shane Warne
Fast Bowler Dennis Lillee, Malcolm Marshall, Wasim Akram

Ever heard of Google?

I think I'd have to crack one off watching that bowling attack.

Hmm, I thought the ESPN series was from the early 2000s thus Gilly hadn't really locked in his legendary status. Meh - I'll take your word for it.

Still, that side listed by taips would be pretty much unbeatable in all conditions.

It was the team picked by ESPN

WTF would ESPN know?

Interesting that Hobbs, an opener, finished in the top 5 of all time yet Barry Richards (no. 24) was picked as an opener in the Best ESPN Test side.

And Hobbs and Hammond were the only two of the top 10 that didn't rate a mention in the Best Test Team. Odd.

skully wrote:Hmm, I thought the ESPN series was from the early 2000s thus Gilly hadn't really locked in his legendary status. Meh - I'll take your word for it.

Still, that side listed by taips would be pretty much unbeatable in all conditions.

It wouldn't even beat the All-time Aus 11 . . .

skully wrote:And Hobbs and Hammond were the only two of the top 10 that didn't rate a mention in the Best Test Team. Odd.

Disappointing that there was no mention of Jardine - was the list compiled by Aussies?

Americans.

taipan wrote:ESPN Best Test Team
Openers Barry Richards, Sunil Gavaskar
Middle-Order Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Vivian Richards
All-Rounder Garfield Sobers
Wicket-Keeper Adam Gilchrist*
Spinner Shane Warne
Fast Bowler Dennis Lillee, Malcolm Marshall, Wasim Akram

Ever heard of Google?

No Hobbs means that the credibility of ESPN is close to zero.


Hell of a bowling attack though.

Pbviously they only stuck Gavaskar in to appease the more vocal Indian subscribers. Fair enough Tendulkar, but Gavaskar over Hobbs? What a joke.

Gavaskar seems a fair shout. It is the inclusion of Richards, as the only South African, who is problematical, as well as the omission of any Englishman (they seem to wish to represent all other major Test-playing nations apart from England and the Lankies but then Murali's inclusion over Warne would be too controversial).

Apart from Hobbs what about S.F.Barnes who took 189 wickets in 27 Tests? Does the difficulty in categorising him as either a spinner or a seamer (he was in effect neither but a purveyor of prodigious swing and leg-cutters at medium and slow-medium pace who was very insistent he be given the new ball) result in his omission?

I guess it depends on what sort of wicket (covered or not) is to be provided for the match. if the wicket suits Barnes, it probably won't suit too many of the modern batsmen, especially bats like Vivi. Strangely, if the wicket provided suits barnes, there is probably an even stronger argument for the inclusion of technicians like Hobbs (and Gavaskar).

Barnes in for one of Lillee, Marshall, or Wasim; then - probably DKL.

Tell Smerkie that.

Farked up thread