And the ICC Bollocks XI, sorry Test team of the year

Officially announced on the ICC website...

Alastair Cook (Eng)
Hashim Amla (SA)
Jonathan Trott (Eng)
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL - wicketkeeper/captain)
AB de Villiers (SA)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Graeme Swann (Eng)
Dale Steyn (SA)
James Anderson (Eng)
Zaheer Khan (Ind) (12th man)

Ian Bell, who scored four Test tons in the period, and averaged 89.5 misses out. Yet a batsman who scored 3 tons, and averaged 64.86 is in, and another bloke in the middle order scored just 2 tons and averaged 72 (despite 2 of his five Tests being against Pakistan) is also in. What the...? Sorry, but in the past year Bell has been a better bet with the bat than SRT, and I'd rate him above ABdV as well.

And that's BEFORE Bell's double century to finish the India series, which fell outside the qualifying period.

I think Tendulkar had been pretty much unstoppable in the last 18 months, up until the England tour, so hard to leave him out.

But I agree Bell should be there - over both Trott and de Villiers.

It's not about the 18 months, it's about the period 11 Aug 2010 to 3 Aug 2011. During which time IRB >>> SRT.

WGAF about these awards?

Not sure how the ratings work, but Tendulkar's big hundred in RSA last summer probably counts as a better individual innings (given bowling quality and match situation) than any of Bell's efforts over the period.

But you're probably right. And while I grant Trott is a remorselessly effective bastard, I would worry about any selector who actually put him in a team over Bell, Jayawardene or Pietersen.

Poor old Belly. Even the ICC selectors can't accept that of late he's made quality runs under pressure. I would have had Prior for Sanga as well, even though I think Sanga is pretty awesome. And Broad? A month ago people wanted him dropped. One good series and he's in the World XI. Hmm. Not to say that Broad didn't look World class in the recent series, it's just that a guy like Morne Morkel has being doing the business for a bit longer than him. My team would have been-

Cook
Dilshan
Amla
Tendulkar
Kallis
Bell
Prior+
Swann
Steyn
M.Morkel
Anderson

I think the guy who should be aggrieved is Prior. Has anyone told the ICC that Sanga hasn't kept in tests for a few years.

Wow, amazing that Belfohl missed out.

And Zaheer is a good choice as 12th man......just as long as he doesn't have to field.

Maybe someone should line up the people who chose the team and give them a size 12 in the ICCohl™

Zat wrote:It's not about the 18 months, it's about the period 11 Aug 2010 to 3 Aug 2011. During which time IRB >>> SRT.

Which makes Broad an odd pick. I mean, I know bowling stocks around the world are the shittest they've ever been, but in the "qualifying" time period, Broad has had series against Australia (2 wickets @ 80) and Sri Lanka (8 wickets @ 49).

It seems he's gotten in off the back of just four Tests that have barely been snared at the very beginning and end of the period - the final two of the home Pakistan series in the bowler friendliest conditions you've ever seen against a side pre-selling their performances to bookies (5 wickets @ 28), and the first two games of this recent Indian smashing (15 wickets @ 11).

30 wickets @ 29, all told. One five-for.

Not that it matters, really...

Isn't Broad's old man a selector?

taipan wrote:I think the guy who should be aggrieved is Prior. Has anyone told the ICC that Sanga hasn't kept in tests for a few years.

Sanga has not kept since the 2007/8 season. He also averages 32 runs less with the bat whan he is keeping.

The Team should have been:

Alistair Cook (top run scorer)
Rahul Dravid (5 tons in the year, solo efforts in Windies & England)
Jon Trott (1000+ runs)
Jacques Kallis (5 tons in 9 innings)
Ian Bell (averaging close to 90)
Misbah-ul-Haq (averaging over 90, 11 innings, 1x100, 7x50)
Matt Prior (2nd highest catches & batting average of 57)
Graeme Swann (4th highest wicket taker)
Dale Steyn (bowling average below 24)
James Anderson (most wickets)
Ishant Sharma (3rd most wickets, series winning effort in Windies plus match winning innings with bat at Mohali)
12th Man: ABC de Villiers

I was reluctant to put Swann in as he struggled for most of those matches and its basically cheap wickets vs Pakistan keeping his average below 35. But he won a match at the Rose Bowl, caught well and biffed a few runs. His main opposition would be Rehman or Harbhajan, who actually took most wickets for a spinner (but at an average close to 37). Harbhajan actually also hit most sixes last year (19) miles ahead of de Villiers and Kallis(!) both in second place on 12.

How Sangakkara managed to get in the ICC team as keeper despite not keeping and averaging ten runs below his career average (and Prior for the year) beggars belief.

Aye, it seems they've gone for 'convenience' rather than the roles that the players played in. It's a bit of silly team. WGAF though? I mean, it just confirms what we already knew doesn't it? That the ICC knows f*ck all about cricket?

It's the same ICC that had Shane Bond in the top 10 of the bowling rankings for two months after he announced his retirement.

I cannot recall Amla opening in tests that often, if at all.

Red wrote:I cannot recall Amla opening in tests that often, if at all.

has opened in 2 matches.

I thought about posting that but I didn't want to risk being expelled to pendant's corner.

I can't recall Kallis batting at seven as a bowling all rounder either, but there you go.

Henry wrote:I can't recall Kallis batting at seven as a bowling all rounder either, but there you go.

Oh ho ho - link

Boo! He must have been injured or something- That doesn't count.

Henry wrote:Boo! He must have been injured or something- That doesn't count.

Fit enough to bowl 25 overs.

Bowling all-rounder.

Gary 111 wrote:

Henry wrote:Boo! He must have been injured or something- That doesn't count.

Fit enough to bowl 25 overs.

Bowling all-rounder.

Yep. I always thought we missed a trick batting him so high in the order.

What does he average at number 4? About 62?