End of decade summit: Test team of the decade
January 7th, 2010 by TWC in Miscellaneous, Test cricket
Today we choose our best international Test teams of the noughties. Tell us yours in the comments below.
John Stern (Editor of TWC)
Langer, Sehwag, Ponting, Lara, Dravid, Kallis, Gilchrist (wk), Pollock, Warne (capt), Steyn, McGrath
Lara is a personal preference based on capacity for brilliance against the best rather than consistency. There’s plenty of that elsewhere in the line-up. Langer complements Sehwag better than Hayden, whose strike-rate is only marginally higher than Langer’s in any case. Steyn gets in to add some express pace to the metronomers.
Edward Craig (Deputy Editor)
Sehwag, Hayden, Ponting, Tendulkar, Kallis, Yousuf, Gilchrist, Pollock, Warne, Muralitharan, McGrath
Again, the bowlers pick themselves. And you only need four when you’ve got that lot – I don’t think Kallis would ever get a bowl. Gilchrist and Ponting are also automatic. The only positions really up for debate were the openers – you can’t ignore Hayden regrettably – and, when it comes to it, I am Virender Sehwag.
Daniel Brigham (Assistant editor)
Hayden, Strauss, Ponting, Lara, Kallis, Sangakkara, Gilchrist, Flintoff, Warne (capt), Murali, McGrath
Spoiled for choice with batsmen – sorry Dravid, Inzaman, Jayawardene, Langer, Yousuf and especially sorry to Tendulkar – but struggled for quality pacemen. Strauss may surprise a few but he scores big in big matches and series. Flintoff gets the nod ahead of Lee, Shoaib and Ntini because of his batting.
Benj Moorehead (Editorial assistant)
Sehwag, Lara, Kallis, Ponting, Tendulkar, Chanderpaul, Gilchrist, Pollock, Warne, Murali, McGrath
It hurts to exclude Sangakkara, Dravid, Hayden, Yousuf, Inzy and Laxman but I couldn’t find anyone who I could drop, consequently I am making Lara – who often faced the new ball at three – open. Curiously, when picking a Decade XI – for Tests or ODIs – choosing the bowling attack is less agony (and less fun) than picking the batsmen. Warne, Murali and McGrath are the outstanding trio of the last 10 years and more. Pollock comes only narrowly behind. Like he does for South Africa, Kallis is key for balance. Missing is a true fast bowler. Shane Bond, Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee have suffered too many injuries and there is little else to choose from. It is one of the decade’s anomalies.
Sam Collins (Website editor)
Hayden, Vaughan (capt), Ponting, Tendulkar, Lara, Kallis, Gilchrist(wkt), Flintoff, Warne, McGrath, Akhtar
(B team) Sehwag, Strauss, Dravid, Yousuf, Jayawardene(capt), Chanderpaul, Sangakarra(wkt), Pollock, Hoggard, Bond, Muralitharan
Vaughan pips Sehwag because I want him to captain the team, with Hayden just edging him because of his consistency. The batting is as deep as it is predictable. Shoaib gets in because of his pace – Pollock is unlucky, but too similar to McGrath. Picking a B team is actually more interesting. Hoggard may be the surprise choice, but he deserves recognition for his exceptional adaptability and perseverance.
Tomorrow: Nostradamus
Posted in Miscellaneous, Test cricket | 4 Comments »
January 8th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
I think the team of the decade would be….
Hayden, Sehwag, Lara, Tendulkar, Ponting, Kallis, Gilchrist, Pollock, Warne, McGrath and Akhtar
January 9th, 2010 at 4:25 am
I might be a little biased taking into account that I was born in India but I fail to comprehend what exactly Strauss is doing in the team of the decade. A single appearance here or there could be dismissed as an aberration, or an excusable liberty taken by some jaundiced, long suffering Englishman. But the frequency of his name is alarming, if not abhorring. Are professional journalists so devoid of impartiality, so incapable of looking past the Ashes? Strauss is a good batsman who has had been in a purple patch in the last couple of years. Nothing more, nothing less. That he could be preferred to any of Hayden, Langer or Sehwag would have amused me had it been posted on a random blog, but here it seems ridiculous. Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but that means picking between a Dravid or Lara, an Akhtar or Steyn, a Kallis or Flintoff. Not a guy who averages less than 45 in an era of inflated averages and was dropped midway during the decade on account of poor form. Some perspective people, I mean really!
January 9th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
R – Strauss only appears in Daniel’s selection and Sam’s B-team.
That aside, you are absolutely right, proving, finally, that Daniel is the most jingoistic of the TWC team. It’s a surprise he didn’t pick Essex’s Alastair Cook alongside Strauss.
January 11th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Cooky’s already lined up for the team of this decade