Well, first and foremost, while picking my draft I decided to pick players who make my squad a balanced, fighting unit, because I do honestly believe a great Test team requires that balance, and compromising on a spot like opening or the middle order or the strike bowling option in lieu of the other can be quite detrimental.
I'm going with the following team.
Saeed Anwar - One of the most elegant strokeplayers of the 90s along with Lara and Waugh. Anwar was capable of single-handedly changing the nature of a game. With no evident weaknesses against the pacers or the spinners and with his wide range of shots, Anwar was, for a time regarded as one of the best in the business along with Sachin. An average of 50 while opening in Tests (it's 45 overall after his failed experiments in the middle order) make him one of the best openers for Pakistan in the last 20 odd years.
Michael Atherton - To complement Anwar's free stroke-playing abaility, I have the dour, dogged Atherton, England's captain at 25, scorer of 16 centuries. His average of 41 batting at number 2 doesn't do him complete justice, but he made his name as the best batsman of the 90s for England. A determined 98 against a fuming Donald and co remains one of the most memorable innings of late. Excellent slip fielder.
Kumar Sangakkara - Possibly the greatest wicket-keeper batsman, and among the greatest number 3's of all time, with 30 centuries (8 double centuries), an average of 56 overall (almost 70 at number 3), centuries against every test playing nation, and to top that, each of his highest scores against those nations is 150+. When he gets past that piddly 100 mark, Sangakkara makes it count. And all this at a relatively pacy average SR of 54. An excellent captain and strategist to boot. 168 catches, 20 stumpings.
Mark Waugh - I love my team, and I love it purely because the sight of Mark Waugh walking nonchalantly out to bat, collars up and fluttering was possibly one of the greatest sights while growing up watching cricket. A peerless stroke player, he could make batting looking absolutely effortless. With no apparent weaknesses against spin or pace, he was one of the triumvirate which battled it out for the 'Best Current Batsman' title (largely in my head) along with Anwar and Sachin.
A vital part of the great Aussie teams under Taylor and Waugh, Mark enjoyed a healthy average of 50 (career average of 42), with 6 centuries, against an England team almost always comprising of Fraser and Gough. Waugh was also a handy offspinner(59 wickets, best bowling of 5/40), and amongst the best slip fielders ever, with 181 catches.
Kevin Pietersen - One of the most dangerous batsmen in the modern game, Pietersen is yet another player in my team capable of turning a game on its head. With 20 centuries in 87 matches, and a strike rate of 63, Pietersen can give middle order that impetus when he walks in at 300 or 400-3. A safe fielder, and less than decent bowler. His Test average in nearly 50 and looks set to improve as he finally looks to be coming into his own as a premier batsman of our time.
Carl Hooper - Coming in at number 6, Hooper is another of my favourites from the 90s and a splendid option to have in the middle order. A calm, level headed player capable of ripping the best spinners apart when in the mood, Hooper has a highest score of 233 and 13 centuries in Test cricket, but probably did not do full justice to his batting as his career average of 36 odd suggests. Towards to latter stages of his career, however, his average takes a massive jump to 50.
In 102 matches, Hooper, with his languid, measured action, took 114 wickets, with 4 five-fors. He, along with Waugh would provide my spinning options. Another excellent slipper with 115 catches.
Hansie Cronje - At 7, he is a position below where he or I would like him to be, but Hansie, as a captain and cricketer showed more than enough drive and ruthlessness to care more about the good of the team, until that fateful day in 1999-00. A number 7 with an average of 36, 6 centuries, and a bowling average of 29. Captain at 24, Hansie led SA to 27 victories and 11 losses in 53 tests, an outstanding record. Fantastic player of spin and pace and excellent fielder.
Lance Klusener - To be honest, I hadn't even factored in Lance's outstanding 174 (after coming in at 153/5) against England when I picked him. I remember watching that match in Kolkata (?) when he took an 8 for on debut with his direct, attacking, two-length bowling. Injuries in later years meant that he added subtle variations and guile, which got him 80 wickets in 49 matches. A gutsy, committed cricketer, he was one of the most feared hitters in international cricket for a time. A batting average of 32 in Test cricket, with 4 centuries.
Mohammed Amir - I won't even pretend this is anything other than a punt, and a consequence of the fact that this left handed pacer got me genuinely excited about cricket after a long period of dissonance. You get a gut feel about some players when you first see them. Notwithstanding the media attention on them, there are some who are genuinely worth that scrutiny. I fully believed this kid was one of them. Fantastic control on swing and pace, and that innate ability only the great bowlers have of making the ball follow their will. Only 14 tests, with 3 five fors and 2 four wicket hauls in an innings. He will provide the balance to my pace attack. A handy bat lower down the order.
Craig McDermott - He virtually carried the Aussie bowling for a time in the late 80s and early 90s. For a bowler plagued with injuries, it could be expected that he would have a loss in form or a drop in statistics, as it were. However, McDermott boasts quite outstanding figures for his time, 30 wickets in his first 6 Tests, 291 overall in 71 tests, with 14 five fors and 2 ten wicket hauls. Classic outswing bowler with immense experience, he's capable of taking on a larger burden of the bowling to complement Donald's attacking bursts.
Allan Donald - Few sights were as exciting in the 90s than of Allan Donald steaming in, sunscreen smeared like warpaint, cheeks puffed out, stretching every muscle in his body to hurl it with hostile, fearsome pace at a quaking batsman.With 330 wickets in 72 matches, he boasts the 5th best strike rate, 47.0, in the modern era (minimum 20 Tests), has a stupendous average of 22, and is capable of doing this...
Overall, I've tried to keep players who have little problem in opening up and upping the rate in Test matches because a score of 650 plus in less than 2 days is far more effective than the same score over 2.5 days. In Donald, McDermott, Amir, Klusener, Cronje, Hooper and Waugh, I have bowlers capable of picking up 20 wickets in a match supported ably by outstanding fielders and slippers. My captain will be Hansie Cronje.
All the best Zen.
