RedCafe Cricket Draft

Always remember thinking the cricket bat looked waaay too small in Big Mac's hands...I've been a staunch Dravid supporter since his debut, and Aravinda always ranked as an irritant when he played India, so he was automatically very very good.

A bit stodgy, your team, if I may say so, but it would be tough to beat that crowd, that's for sure. Some pure grit in there.
 
Kumble you mean.

Yeah I always did like character. Bit early for discussions of this nature but none of Smith, Clarke and de Silva hang about. They'll score quickly enough. In fact, if anything, I think need a couple of plodders to eat a few overs up.
 
1. Wessels
2. Dilshan
3. Amla
4. Khan
5. Samaraweera
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. Lee
10. de Villiers
11. Bishop

Looking good I'd say...very good 3-5 middle order there. Just need a decent one at 6.
 
Red-Indian said:
Kumble you mean.

Yeah I always did like character. Bit early for discussions of this nature but none of Smith, Clarke and de Silva hang about. They'll score quickly enough. In fact, if anything, I think need a couple of plodders to eat a few overs up.
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Meant McMillan...
 
Stretch said:
1. Wessels
2. Dilshan
3. Amla
4. Khan
5. Samaraweera
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. Lee
10. de Villiers
11. Bishop

Looking good I'd say...very good 3-5 middle order there. Just need a decent one at 6.
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Nice, solid and balanced without a standout genius (though Amla's getting there). I suppose you've been handicapped by picking last. You've really paid for that internet failure. Donald instead of Lee and suddenly that team has more pizzazz. Lee started all fire and brimstone but with his injury issues had averages in the high thirties in the latter half of his career - more stock bowler than strike.
 
Red-Indian said:
I was referring to the "I've been a staunch Dravid supporter since his debut" in your post. I don't have Dravid in my team so I assumed you meant Kumble.

Big Mac was a giant obviously. You'd expect him to hit the ball out of the ground but he was better at proper test batting.
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Ah, yes, meant Kumble. Although the same holds true for Dravid, although with a slightly scary intensity. I've had to question my sexuality a few times.

Who has to pick next? I'm itching to pick Hirwani.
 
KM - Kallis, Inzy, Anderson, Shane Bond, Morne Morkel, Shakib Al Hasan, David Boon
Omar Dalvi - Tendulkar, Kaneria, Boucher, Caddick, Mohammed Asif, Katich, Mitchell Johnson
AldoRaine18 - Steve Waugh, Flower, Jayawardene, Mark Taylor, Merv Hughes, Gibbs, Hoggard
Unitedfan101 - Ricky Ponting, Harbhajan, Ian Healy, Damien Fleming, Strauss, Ian Bell, Thorpe
Zen - Gilchrist, Vettori, Jason Gillespie, Darren Gough, Damien Martyn, Angus Fraser, Vaughan
Interval Level - Akram, S. Mushtaq, Chanderpaul, Watson, Gul, Brendan McCullum, Gambhir, Robin Smith
ha_rooney - Warne, de Villiers, Vaas, Langer, Clark, Richardson, Trescothick, Tillakaratne,
nm03 - Lara, VVS Laxman, Stewart, Ntini, Reiffel, Broad, Dean Jones, Mushtaq Ahmed,
kps88 - Murali, Flintoff, Jayasuriya, Azharuddin, Zaheer, G. Lawson, Slater, Saleem Malik,
R-Indian - McGrath, Kumble, G Smith, M. Clarke, B McMillan, Streak, A DeSilva, Dujon
Desert Eagle - Hayden, Sehwag, M.Hussey, Dhoni, Sammy, Srinath, D. Morrsion, Malinga
Crappy - Dravid, Walsh, Chris Cairns, G. Kirsten, M. Crowe, S. Mcgill, Alderman, Cullinan
MJJ - Younis, Steyn, M. Yousuf, Ganguly, S. Ajmal, Trott, , Atapattu
Mightberight - Pollock, Ambrose, A.Cook, Akhtar, Swann,M. Prior, Gayle, Fleming
Donadol - Sangakarra, Donald, Pietersen, McDermott, M. Waugh, S. Anwar, Atherton, Hooper
Stretch - Amla, Lee, Younis Khan, Ian Bishop, Samarweera, F. De Villiers, T. Dilshan, K.Wessels

Zen's next. Hope Interval's PM'ed him...though its going to get stuck at Unitedfan anyway so there's no real rush.
 
Red-Indian said:
Nice, solid and balanced without a standout genius (though Amla's getting there). I suppose you've been handicapped by picking last. You've really paid for that internet failure. Donald instead of Lee and suddenly that team has more pizzazz. Lee started all fire and brimstone but with his injury issues had averages in the high thirties in the latter half of his career - more stock bowler than strike.
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Yeah, I missed big time on that 1st round. Cost me dearly. A bit unfair I'd say but nothing I can do about it, have to get on with it. Hence why I opted for very solid performers and a balanced outfit. I wouldn't completely right Lee of as a stock bowler per say. Just won't be as effective as the main spear in an attack. That's why I've got Bishop and de Villiers though. Between the 3, they can rattle a side out. But yeah, a Donald would've been ace!
 
1. Andrew Strauss
2. xxx
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Graham Thorpe
5. Ian Bell
6. Ian Healy
7. xxx
8. xxx
9. Damien Fleming
10. Harbhajan Singh
11. xxx

Two more bowlers (perhaps one an all-rounder), an opener and a solid #7

Failing that, a shuffle of the above order may ensue ;) :p
 
United Fan 101 said:
1. Andrew Strauss
2. xxx
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Graham Thorpe
5. Ian Bell
6. Ian Healy
7. xxx
8. xxx
9. Damien Fleming
10. Harbhajan Singh
11. xxx

Two more bowlers (perhaps one an all-rounder), an opener and a solid #7

Failing that, a shuffle of the above order may ensue ;) :p
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Class batting with a bit of everything - power, style, doggedness etc. but that bowling needs a lot of beefing up. Damien Fleming as your strike bowler when he barely managed to hold his place in the national team is a bit of a stretch.
 
My pick is Irfan Pathan.

30 odd tests, for a batting average of 31+ and a bowling average of a touch over 32 for 100 wickets. 5 wickets in an innings 7 times, 10 wickets in a match twice. A very good all-rounder. :)

1. Andrew Strauss
2. xxx
3. Ricky Ponting (c)
4. Graham Thorpe
5. Ian Bell
6. Ian Healy (wk)
7. Irfan Pathan (all-rounder)
8. xxx
9. Damien Fleming
10. Harbhajan Singh
11. xxx
 
United Fan 101 said:
My pick is Irfan Pathan.

30 odd tests, for a batting average of 31+ and a bowling average of a touch over 32 for 100 wickets. 5 wickets in an innings 7 times, 10 wickets in a match twice. A very good all-rounder. :)

1. Andrew Strauss
2. xxx
3. Ricky Ponting (c)
4. Graham Thorpe
5. Ian Bell
6. Ian Healy (wk)
7. Irfan Pathan (all-rounder)
8. xxx
9. Damien Fleming
10. Harbhajan Singh
11. xxx
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I'm sorry - most people who have seen him play know he is not "very good"!!!!
 
nm03 said:
I'm sorry - most people who have seen him play know he is not "very good"!!!!
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He was hampered by typical over-expectation from the religious-like following that is the fans of Indian cricket. No one's saying he was an outstanding, simply brilliant etc etc all-rounder. But I think he was very good. When Chappell came in, expectations soared - they shouldn't have. He was very good. Nothing less, nothing more.
 
I suppose if you're considering him at his best, he was pretty decent. It didn't last very long though. While he hasn't played any tests recently (2008 was the last time he's played one), his deficiencies have been ruthlessly exposed in the limited overs versions.
 
United Fan 101 said:
He was hampered by typical over-expectation from the religious-like following that is the fans of Indian cricket. No one's saying he was an outstanding, simply brilliant etc etc all-rounder. But I think he was very good. When Chappell came in, expectations soared - they shouldn't have. He was very good. Nothing less, nothing more.
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His "best" was a couple of series' mate. He couldn't replicate it and was quickly found it. That's all there is to it. No great expectations etc.
 
nm03 said:
His "best" was a couple of series' mate. He couldn't replicate it and was quickly found it. That's all there is to it. No great expectations etc.
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I think 30 tests with a batting average over 31 and a bowling average of 32 says that on average he did very well. Those couple of series were amazing, others understandably less so, but still good. Not calling him a "great", calling him very good. All-rounders now are hard to come by to at this stage of the draft, so I'm happy.

Again, all personal preferences/opinions :)
 
That said, I don't think there are a lot of better players available at this stage of the draft. Most of the last 7 or 8 picks could take a lot of criticism. These are the 'didn't quite make it' players. Not crap but not anything great either.

Pathan fits in there reasonably well...maybe he got picked a round early but thats it. He deserves a spot in the best 200 players of the last 30 years which is what this draft is about.
 
Aldo Raine's getting an all-rounder
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KM - Kallis, Inzy, Anderson, Shane Bond, Morne Morkel, Shakib Al Hasan, David Boon
Omar Dalvi - Tendulkar, Kaneria, Boucher, Caddick, Mohammed Asif, Katich, Mitchell Johnson
AldoRaine18 - S Waugh, Flower, Jayawardene, Mark Taylor, Merv Hughes, Gibbs, Hoggard, Collingwood
Unitedfan101 - Ponting, Harbhajan, Ian Healy, Damien Fleming, Strauss, Ian Bell, Thorpe, I Pathan
Zen - Gilchrist, Vettori, Jason Gillespie, Darren Gough, Damien Martyn, Angus Fraser, Vaughan, Sidhu
Interval Level - Akram, S. Mushtaq, Chanderpaul, Watson, Gul, Brendan McCullum, Gambhir, Robin Smith
ha_rooney - Warne, de Villiers, Vaas, Langer, Clark, Richardson, Trescothick, Tillakaratne,
nm03 - Lara, VVS Laxman, Stewart, Ntini, Reiffel, Broad, Dean Jones, Mushtaq Ahmed,
kps88 - Murali, Flintoff, Jayasuriya, Azharuddin, Zaheer, G. Lawson, Slater, Saleem Malik,
R-Indian - McGrath, Kumble, G Smith, M. Clarke, B McMillan, Streak, A DeSilva, Dujon
Desert Eagle - Hayden, Sehwag, M.Hussey, Dhoni, Sammy, Srinath, D. Morrison, Malinga
Crappy - Dravid, Walsh, Chris Cairns, G. Kirsten, M. Crowe, S. Mcgill, Alderman, Cullinan
MJJ - Younis, Steyn, M. Yousuf, Ganguly, S. Ajmal, Trott, Sarwan, Atapattu
Mightberight - Pollock, Ambrose, A.Cook, Akhtar, Swann,M. Prior, Gayle, Fleming
Donadol - Sangakarra, Donald, Pietersen, McDermott, M. Waugh, S. Anwar, Atherton, Hooper
Stretch - Amla, Lee, Younis Khan, Ian Bishop, Samarweera, F. De Villiers, T. Dilshan, K.Wessels
 
United Fan 101 said:
I think 30 tests with a batting average over 31 and a bowling average of 32 says that on average he did very well. Those couple of series were amazing, others understandably less so, but still good. Not calling him a "great", calling him very good. All-rounders now are hard to come by to at this stage of the draft, so I'm happy.

Again, all personal preferences/opinions :)
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Oh, I agree. I didn't want to put your pick/team down - it just is a personal opinion.
 
omardalvi said:
I still remeber Pathan's hattrick against Pakistan in the first over. That was just beautiful.:drool:
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One of the best games of cricket I have seen. Can't believe we won that game after being 0-3, Kamran Akmal made probably his finest knock in test cricket.
 
Hang on just picking in ten minutes. Just came online on Caf.
 
I'll pick Ravi Shastri and Brad Haddin.
 
Omardalvi : Nasser Hussain
AldoRaine : Mohinder Amarnath.

I've Pmed Unitedfan.
 
Arjuna Ranatunga- Aldo picks him instead of Amarnath.
 
God damit. I gambled on KM waiting one more round for a WK.
 
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