KM
I’m afraid I just blue myself
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2008
- Messages
- 49,917
Someone please post this in the relevant thread when the poll opens for my game tomorrow. Thanks.
Team line-up:
Justin Langer – (average 45.27; 23 100’s) – a real battler as a batsman, Langer was an integral member of the successful Aussie side scoring over 7500 runs at Test level. He showed his ability to fight for runs when he was the leading Aussie run scorer in the 2005 ashes, where all batsman struggled with the swing movement, Langer showed he could get runs in the toughest of conditions, averaging 43 in that series. He will accumulate runs at his own pace and rarely will he give his wicket away by playing a false shot. Over his career Langer consistently proved he was a superb test opener and he will provide a good platform for my team to get started.
Marcus Trescothick – (average 43.79; 14 100’s) – an elegant batsman who combined aggression with genuine strokeplay and was a fixture at the top of England’s batting line up until depression got the better of him. Trescothick has the ability to take the initiative away from any bowling attack and score quick runs whilst never looking flustered in his batting and rarely giving his wicket away. An excellent slip fielder who would have scored a lot more runs had illness not stopped him, Trescothick will provide big runs for my team. A part-time spin option as well should he be needed.
Richie Richardson (c) – (average 44.39; 16 100’s) – coming in at the all important position of #3 is the destructively brilliant Richardson who will also captain my side. An outstanding batsman who was a world-class stroke player and had all the big shots in his armoury and a tendency to score big centuries once set, Richardson will provide fire-power and leadership to my team. An outstanding slip or gully fielder.
Ross Taylor – (average 43.52; 6 100’s) – Another aggressive player who has good technique, Taylor has already proven himself to be New Zealand’s best batsman and shown his ability to adapt to a leadership role and anchor the innings by averaging 57.70 since becoming Kiwi captain. He has shown more patience and temperament in recent years and will provide composure to my batting line-up. His fielding is also an asset to my team.
AB de Villiers – (average 49.16; 13 100’s) – An excellent batsman who possesses all the cricket shots, AB in recent years has emerged as an essential part of the successful SA side. Batting comes effortlessly to him and he demonstrated his ability to bat on all types of pitches by scoring first double-century by a South African against India and doing so in India. Averaging 63 since 2008 and the ability to bat anywhere in the order, AB will be the key batsman to my side and will score big runs against any type of bowler. He can also act as an emergency WK as well as being another brilliant fielder in my team.
HP Tillakaratne (WK) – (average 42.87; 11 100’s) – a gritty batsman who will provide solidity to the lower order and who will strengthen my batting line-up. An average of 47 when batting at the #6 position, he will provide resistance in my line-up should the top order fail and will be able to stick around with the tail. He may not have been an all-time great WK but he is competent enough to keep to my bowling attack and should not face any serious issues especially when he will be assisted by Warne, Trescothick and Richardson behind the stumps.
Abdul Razzaq – (batting average 28.61; 3 100’s; bowling average 36.94; 100 wickets) – he may be more successful at ODIs but since we are picking teams when players were at their peak, Razzaq will be a valuable all-rounder in my team who performed reasonably well in Tests as a lower-order option with the bat and alternative bowling option. He emerged as a genuine fast bowler who has now become a stump-to-stump option, Razzaq will provide control to my bowling attack whilst also having the ability to be a partnership breaker. His role is to solidify my bowling and batting and give me another option in both categories. A very aggressive batsman he can change the momentum of the game with a few big hits and will score some important runs down the order.
Chaminda Vaas – (bowling average 29.58; 355 wickets; batting average 24.32; 1 100) – an underrated player who carried Sri Lanka’s seam attack by himself and will be my opening bowler. A superb swing bowler, Vaas amassed over 350 wickets despite bowling on mostly flat tracks showing he is able to take wickets in the most difficult of conditions. Alongside the great Imran Khan, he is the only player to take 14 wickets in one match on the sub-continent. A master of swing bowling who will trouble both left and right handers with his ability to bowl both in and out swingers and a well disguised slower delivery, he will be offer my team the threat of picking up early wickets with the new ball and then returning when reverse swing comes into play and being as dangerous with the old ball. Averaging a useful 24 with the bat, he will add depth to my batting and score runs down the order.
Shane Warne – (bowling average 25.41; 708 wickets) – one of the greatest bowlers of all time, arguably the greatest spin bowler ever. Warne showed he got better with age by taking a record 96 wickets in 2005. Could bowl on all pitches and be as effective in all conditions, his ability to out-think the greatest batsman by mixing his deliveries up whilst never losing control made him the one of the most devastating bowlers ever. He will be the primary bowler in my team and with the supporting cast he is guaranteed to take many wickets. An excellent slip fielder as well as offering runs down the order ensuring my batting line up goes down to #9.
Stuart Clark – (bowling average 23.86; 94 wickets) – but for injury and the great Aussie bowling line-up, Clark would’ve been a mainstay in Aussie test cricket and potentially an all-time great. An incredible average and 94 wickets in just 24 matches, Clark has the ability to control the ball with superb line and length bowling whilst getting the ball to seam and cause havoc for batsman. He will open the bowling with Vaas and his role in the team will be to pick up key wickets, something which he has proven in his short career, whilst not giving away any runs and creating pressure so that the more penetrative Vaas or Warne can benefit from Clark’s superb accuracy.
Steven Finn – (bowling average 27.42; 56 wickets) – a wildcard pick to round off my bowling attack, Finn has shown he will be leading the English bowling attack in years to come. A genuine fast bowler who uses his height to trouble batsman, Finn also has the ability to swing the ball and pick up wickets when it matters most. Whilst Finn could be more expensive than my other bowlers, his pace and height will cause problems even for batsmen who have been set at the crease so he will offer the threat to break up partnerships and help changing the momentum of the game.
My bowling attack is well balanced with the 4 seamers who all offer a variety of pace, bounce, swing, reverse swing, seam, control and a bit of unpredictability. Vaas and Clark will open the bowling with Vaas offering swing and Clark offering line and length bowling with seam movement to trouble the batsman. Razzaq will be used as a stump to stump option to build pressure so that Warne will pick up the wickets when Omar’s batsmen become frustrated and resort to playing silly shots. Finn will offer pace and bounce which will unsettle the middle-order and with Vaas returning to utilise the reverse swing, his line-up will struggle to make sufficient runs.
Add to that attack the great Shane Warne who has the guile and intelligence to spin an entire side out by himself, I should have no trouble going through Omar’s batting line-up. Trescothick also provides a part-time spin option in the unlikely event I become desperate for wickets.
My batting is well balanced with some gritty players like Langer and Tillakaratne mixed together with more elegant stroke makers like Trescothick and Richardson. AB and Taylor in the middle order may not be to everyone’s liking but AB has become one of the best middle-order players in recent times and is as adept playing spin as he is fast bowling and looking at Omar’s attack I don’t see my batters facing many difficulties. Taylor too has shown he is maturing as a batsman and has all the shots necessary to be effective against Omar’s bowling attack.
Tillakaratne may not have been the best option available at WK but if push comes to shove I could always use AB as my WK and move Tillakaratne away from the gloves. I don’t envisage either player having any trouble with my bowlers and with Trescothick, Warne & Richardson making up my slip cordon I expect all edges behind to be taken.
Overall a balanced and deep batting line-up will ensure I have sufficient runs to put the game out of Omar’s reach. The variety and wicket-taking ability of my bowling attack makes my team the clear favourites to win.
Here you go lads.
we can argue all day.