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Post by Balladeer on Aug 9, 2015 9:02:01 GMT
Quite simply, put together the best team made up of (men's) international players you think currently exists. Then we'll have a talk about why you've included Shapoor Zadran.
My team:
Chris Rogers Alastair Cook (c) Kane Williamson Hashim Amla (vc) Joe Root AB de Villiers BJ Watling (w) Vernon Philander Dale Steyn Mitchell Starc Yasir Shah
Trent Boult (12th man)
No room for Smith in the top order, sadly. Fifth bowler is a combination of Root and Kane, but the other four should be able to do the job fine thank you. Philander for economy, Boult over Starc if the pitch is doing a bit.
What are yours?
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Post by Srihari on Aug 19, 2015 21:59:13 GMT
Murali Vijay Alastair Cook Kane Williamson Hashim Amla AB de Villiers (vc) Angelo Mathews (c) BJ Watling (wk) Ravichandran Ashwin Dale Steyn Stuart Broad Trent Boult
Mitchell Johnson (12th man)
The only reason I don't have Yasir Shah is that he is an unknown quantity outside asia and so far although he has a brilliant test record, he hasn't played a single game outside UAE, SL and Bangladesh, all spinning wickets.
And I standby my belief that Ashwin is the best legal spinner playing tests. Herath probably would have taken that spot last year, but he is in the twilight of his career and his injury problems don't help his credentials.
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Post by Steadzz on Aug 20, 2015 12:47:09 GMT
Alistair Cook (vc) Chris Rogers Kane Williamson Hashim Amla AB de Villiers (C) Joe Root BJ Watling (W/K) Angelo Matthews Stuart Broad Dale Steyn Trent Boult
12th man would be Mitchell Johnson
No spinner. I just feel there isn't a good enough spinner out there at the moment and would rather go with Williamson & Root to throw their arm. Shah is unproven out of Asia, Ashwin would have been in had he not been useless in England last year. Herath would be my choice if i had to play a spinner.
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Post by Srihari on Aug 20, 2015 13:24:06 GMT
Too many batsmen don't you think Steadzz? Mathews is a good all-rounder, but if he is your fourth seamer, the team would tire too quickly unless you bowl Williamson and Root a lot and ask AB to chip in with the ball as well.
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Post by Steadzz on Aug 20, 2015 14:17:32 GMT
I did worry there were too many batsmen, I considered dropping Rogers & opening with Root tbh...
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Post by Balladeer on Aug 20, 2015 14:29:46 GMT
Interestingly, Steadzz has taken my batting line-up with what is effectively Sri's attack. I do like Matthews. I didn't have an all-rounder in my squad, to get my all-rounder-less 3-6 in, but Mathews is probably the best choice. I wouldn't make him captain, though - he seems to be more defensive than "new Cook". Broad's good, but I reckon that his current global ranking and 8-fer flatter him a bit. Vijay wouldn't be my choice, but I guess that we don't have a plethora of great openers at the moment. Not sure who I'll go for after Rogers. (Not Warner on principle.) Interesting that we all chose BJ (along with Cook, KW, Amla, AB, Steyn, Boult). Understated figure, yet almost undoubtedly the best WK-batsman in the world.
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Post by Steadzz on Aug 20, 2015 14:43:47 GMT
BJ's the best. *sorry not sorry*
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Post by Srihari on Aug 20, 2015 18:51:36 GMT
Interestingly, Steadzz has taken my batting line-up with what is effectively Sri's attack. I do like Matthews. I didn't have an all-rounder in my squad, to get my all-rounder-less 3-6 in, but Mathews is probably the best choice. I wouldn't make him captain, though - he seems to be more defensive than "new Cook". Broad's good, but I reckon that his current global ranking and 8-fer flatter him a bit. Vijay wouldn't be my choice, but I guess that we don't have a plethora of great openers at the moment. Not sure who I'll go for after Rogers. (Not Warner on principle.) Interesting that we all chose BJ (along with Cook, KW, Amla, AB, Steyn, Boult). Understated figure, yet almost undoubtedly the best WK-batsman in the world. you certainly are right about BJ. And you can't have Mathews in the side and not make him captain, that is just silly. To be fair, given the resources he has, he has no option but to be defensive. I had Broad because I need a workhorse seamer, who is capable taking wickets. Seeing as Steyn and Boult will take the new ball and can't be given a lot of overs by themselves, I picked Broad because he effective and has the capability to go on the rampage ala the 8-fer. And in any case, neither Mitches are consistent so he was my third seamer. Also, re Vijay, I'm not sure you completely comprehend just how good he is in not just soaking up the pressure and seeing off the new ball, but also capitalising once he is set. He is called the Monk, purely on that basis, he deserves to be in the side Also with Cook and Vijay to block the living daylights out of any attack, Kane, Amla and AB can go on the rampage.
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Post by Mattzo on Aug 27, 2015 10:49:48 GMT
Cook Williamson Amla de Villiers Root Smith Watling (w/k) Johnson Broad Steyn Boult
Decided to get around the openener conundrum by bumping up Williamson. Also allows me to slide Smith in down the order.
No spinner stood out enough, and with Root, Williamon and Smith there are 3 part time spin options. I'd trust in a dangerous pace attack to get me through most things.
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Post by Balladeer on Aug 29, 2015 7:17:41 GMT
At least you didn't make Root opener.
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Post by Srihari on Aug 29, 2015 9:30:29 GMT
Not so sure about Smith, Johnson perhaps as an impact bowler, there is no one better than him at that. But Smith is a flat-track bully.
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Post by Balladeer on Oct 21, 2015 8:42:42 GMT
As I mentioned in Nemo's CHEAP IMITATION of a thread, Steadzz and I are going to have to think up new openers. Potential shortlist: Vijay Warner Moeen (ha ha ha no) Latham Hafeez Karunaratne Elgar Brathwaite ...It's Warner by a bloody mile, isn't it. Unless you're Sri.
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Post by Mattzo on Oct 21, 2015 10:48:30 GMT
I'm still pretty happy with my team. I could tweak it a bit depending on my mood, but overall I am content.
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Post by Srihari on Oct 21, 2015 12:59:45 GMT
Pretty content with my team, I wouldn't mind Warner Songster, but he is too consistent and like most Australian batsmen these days, is a flat-track bully.
But if I was going to channel my inner-Sehwag, post his retirement, then I might think about it. Perhaps..
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Post by Balladeer on Aug 6, 2016 7:46:03 GMT
As this has come up again in the England vs. Pakistan thread, I thought I'd go back to my previous team and see how much has changed. Chris Rogers Alastair Cook (c) Kane Williamson Hashim Amla (vc) Joe Root AB de Villiers BJ Watling (w) Vernon Philander Dale Steyn Mitchell Starc Yasir Shah Trent Boult (12th man) Rogers has retired. As mentioned above, Warner seems an obvious replacement, sadly. Still pretty happy with my middle order. If I had to omit somebody to fit in Angie, it'd probably be AB! But that might just be because he and SA haven't played Tests in a while. As Steadzz said at the time, BJ is the best. Starc seems an inspired choice at this particular moment, so I'd stick with him. Shah not so much, but the other top spinners in the world (Ashwin, Herath, arguably Lyon) are being flattered by playing on turning tracks, while he's grafting away in England. I'd stick with Shah. Philander and Steyn, though, have disappeared off the radar recently, as has Trent. The rest of the pace attack could probably be picked from Hazlewood, Rabada, Amir, and whichever England seamer has performed most recently. I think I'd pick Hazlewood and Rabada out of that lot, with Jimmy as twelfth man; only that gives a bloody terrible tail, so I might be tempted to play Woakes on current performance. Anyone else changed their elevens, or come up with a new one?
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