Please note: above post was edited to include new info.

Yeah, it's a real shame the old thread has disappeared.

Everyone would have recognised that I am the reigning champ

Best XI participants are locked away: -

Tall Defence

45HG16

Rogue

H_T

Macca

Biffen

titan_uranus

thepassenger

I'll do it soon; start it later tonight. Keep an eye out for the Best XI thread here in the other sports forum. As I stated in that post I'll draw picks for everyone and we'll get a start. There's no time limit until complete, we have all the summer. I'm guessing we'll have it done before the Aust Open finishes anyway. I think the last one took just under 2 weeks.

There will be 88 picks all up (11 per team). Each round the order will reverse.

I've remembered from last time there are limitations. I'll stipulate the limitations in the OP of the thread. ie. You must have one player from each of the Test cricketing nations including: -

England

Australia

South Africa

India

Pakistan

New Zealand

West Indies

Sri Lanka

So there is 8 players in your team. Finalise your team with three other Test players - these players can come from any of the above nations, although the maximum players from one country in your team must be two.

It's a pity the old thread is not around anymore it would have been a great reference and good for the new particpants to have a look at.

Enjoy.

Just a quick heads up HT . When it's a persons turn, can you pick any player to fill any spot in the team or is it specifically done in batting order? (for instance) . You can give me the answer when stipulating the rules when posting the 'Best XI thread' (if you prefer) .

Cheers

Edited January 9, 201312 yr by Macca

As I'm o/s I'm not sure how reliable I'll be with selections...

Ian Botham

Don Bradman

Barry Richards

Sachin

Wasim

Hadlee

Sobers

Sangakarra

Warne

Holding

Murilitharan

Ian BothamDon BradmanBarry RichardsSachinWasimHadleeSobersSangakarraWarneHoldingMurilitharan

Is that a greatest XI or something along those lines Biff?

Is that a greatest XI or something along those lines Biff?

HT didn't stipulate eras.

HT didn't stipulate eras.

Fair enough, some bold calls there though I think

HT didn't stipulate eras.

Scanning the posts I don't think I did. But it is current international players.

That's a good side anyway for all times sake^. I was going to ask what about Lillee, but Holding or whispering death is a good selection.

Yeah, it's a real shame the old thread has disappeared.

Everyone would have recognised that I am the reigning champ

Ha!

Yours was pretty good from memory. 45's and t_u's were pretty good IIRC.

Just a quick heads up HT . When it's a persons turn, can you pick any player to fill any spot in the team or is it specifically done in batting order? (for instance) . You can give me the answer when stipulating the rules when posting the 'Best XI thread' (if you prefer) .

Cheers

You can start with anyone, no.11 or opening Bat or keeper...or even a spinner. That's what makes it interesting.....strategy.

Do you fill your top 6 quickly? Or do you get your bowling attack strong first up?

Neglecting bats or bowlers may weaken your side... from memory those who played it last time found their last couple of picks difficult, because there's only do many quality players around. You're left scraping the bottom of the barrel in some instances.

Will get it up soon.

As I'm o/s I'm not sure how reliable I'll be with selections...

Don't worry we'll get there eventually. Just check in occassionally.

Enjoy.

You can start with anyone, no.11 or opening Bat or keeper...or even a spinner. That's what makes it interesting.....strategy.

Do you fill your top 6 quickly? Or do you get your bowling attack strong first up?

Neglecting bats or bowlers may weaken your side... from memory those who played it last time found their last couple of picks difficult, because there's only do many quality players around. You're left scraping the bottom of the barrel in some instances.

Will get it up soon.

Do we compete with some kind of points system or is it just a drafting game?

Do we compete with some kind of points system or is it just a drafting game?

It's a drafting game, but I may try and organise an independant panel of judges and get their opinion on the finished teams at the completion of the draft. We'll see.

Ian Healy, January 6 - "The confidence of that batting performance will flow into his keeping and he's working hard. It takes maybe one or two years for a wicketkeeper to think properly and to be able to switch up and down with the concentration and to stop stressing. It's a hard road. He's the right age and he's got all the skills and the ability so he'll get there."

Ian Healy, January 11 - "Matthew Wade says he's still young and he wants to keep improving, but I don't think he's that young. He's 25."

Hypocritical [censored].

Ian Healy is saying he is the right age (25yo) and Heally does not think he is not young. IMO Wade isnt. He should be coming into his prime. What Healy said was fair enough.

Nothing hypocritical just you dont get the point.

Ian Healy is saying he is the right age (25yo) and Heally does not think he is not young. IMO Wade isnt. He should be coming into his prime. What Healy said was fair enough.

Nothing hypocritical just you dont get the point.

In the first article, if you'd read it (can you read? I'm not sure anymore), you'd note Healy's very positive tone towards Wade, including justifying Wade's mistakes as a keeper with the fact that he's young, he's only been doing it for a year, and he has time to improve, especially given his batting.

In the second article, if you'd read it, you'd note that Healy's tone is, 5 days later, completely negative, calling Wade out for not being that young (25 is young. Full stop. Haddin was brought into the team at 31), and all of a sudden not giving him the 'one or two years' to get accustomed to Test cricket.

I bolded those two phrases just to highlight the point. If you'd read the full articles, and read the clearly contrasting tones, you'd understand. But, you don't.

I bolded those two phrases just to highlight the point. If you'd read the full articles, and read the clearly contrasting tones, you'd understand. But, you don't.

You seemed to make your point off the phrases you quoted and highlighted that were drawn from the articles. And I dont think they higlighted the point. And Healy was just stating an opinion that he did not think he is young.

Anyway it was a trite issue to call someone a "[censored]" about it.

FWIW, batting aside, Wade has had a difficult time with the gloves. And keeping is a cruel game and I dont believe there is any 1 to 2 year settling in period. You get scrutinised from day 1. With the focus on the Ashes there is pressure to perform.

I actually believe Watson's bowling is more valuable than his batting. Hasn't done it with the willow for a while and he is our most reliable bowler barring probably Siddle. Always manages to take a wicket when we need it and is understandably underused due to his body.

Fair enough if he is focussing on his batting to try and squeeze out a few more years though.

IMO his problem is exactly as he's complained of, lack on continuity with test cricket.

His batting was just brilliant a couple of years ago & from that was started being talked up as a future captain.

His frame, IMO, is too tight/musclebound to bowl long stints without physical stress. and he gets injured.

I think the commuting to and from London during the BBL has taken it's toll and fried his brain (not that it required that much..).

Found speeding in excess of 160km/h, fined for swearing, suspended for his petulant and appalling behaviour.

Perhaps he has felt the rigours of weekly botox injections? I'm no expert....

Stick with Liz, Warnie. You're looking more and more like your wax work at Maddam Tussauds in London each day.

Watch warne closely next game... I think you may notice the signs of someone losing their eyesight.

he appears to me like his sight has deteriorated. this won't effect his bowling as much IMO, but his batting definately,,, & fielding very definately.

Ian Healy, January 6 - "The confidence of that batting performance will flow into his keeping and he's working hard. It takes maybe one or two years for a wicketkeeper to think properly and to be able to switch up and down with the concentration and to stop stressing. It's a hard road. He's the right age and he's got all the skills and the ability so he'll get there."

Ian Healy, January 11 - "Matthew Wade says he's still young and he wants to keep improving, but I don't think he's that young. He's 25."

Hypocritical [censored].

In the first article, if you'd read it (can you read? I'm not sure anymore), you'd note Healy's very positive tone towards Wade, including justifying Wade's mistakes as a keeper with the fact that he's young, he's only been doing it for a year, and he has time to improve, especially given his batting.

In the second article, if you'd read it, you'd note that Healy's tone is, 5 days later, completely negative, calling Wade out for not being that young (25 is young. Full stop. Haddin was brought into the team at 31), and all of a sudden not giving him the 'one or two years' to get accustomed to Test cricket.

I bolded those two phrases just to highlight the point. If you'd read the full articles, and read the clearly contrasting tones, you'd understand. But, you don't.

I see what your saying, but I think Healy has had a big change of mind after Sri Lanka.

Against Sth Africa with pace he was OK, not great but his batting was very good.

Then against Sri Lanka & we used spin on slower tracks Wade was exposed standing up at the stumps.

Healy changed his mind as Tim Paine is back playing & Brad Haddin is getting runs. IMO Haddin is better than Wade, keeping wise.

Has there ever been a social game of cricket between the demonlanders?

Watch warne closely next game... I think you may notice the signs of someone losing their eyesight.

he appears to me like his sight has deteriorated. this won't effect his bowling as much IMO, but his batting definately,,, & fielding very definately.

I'm not as quick to speculate on reasoning, but his fielding has been nothing short of shocking in the BBL this year from the couple of games I've seen.

'Take it out of our hands' - Harris

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/600951.html

I'm really glad to read this article. When the media is saturated with dinosaurs like Ian Chappell who is stuck in the 70s and every fast bowler in the nation understandably going "stuff this rest crap, I want to play!", it's nice to hear that at least one cricketer actually gets it.

IMO his problem is exactly as he's complained of, lack on continuity with test cricket.

His batting was just brilliant a couple of years ago & from that was started being talked up as a future captain.

His frame, IMO, is too tight/musclebound to bowl long stints without physical stress. and he gets injured.

He has never been fit enough to string enough Test together.

At best his batting was adequate and he was talk of as a future opener. I dont recall the captaincy because Clarke was the heir apparent, younger than Watson and with a more imposing record as an established batsman.

As far as his bowling concern, how often has he bowled "long stints". At best he has been a 2nd change bowler. Watson could do a hamstring just thinking about doing tai chi!

Watch warne closely next game... I think you may notice the signs of someone losing their eyesight.

he appears to me like his sight has deteriorated. this won't effect his bowling as much IMO, but his batting definately,,, & fielding very definately.

How about he is 43yo?

When he retired from Test cricket six years ago he complained about the physical stress of cricket.

Its age catching up with him despite his skin looking 23.