Batting
Opening the batting for me is
Gary Kirsten, well known to the world for his flair, temperament and hardwork. He was the bedrock of the South African batting line-up for well over a decade and one of the most reliable batsmen of his time. His determination and desire to bat long innings and score plentiful of runs was balanced aesthetically with a very unique technique. His highest score of 275, the second longest innings in Test History, batting for over 14 hours is a testament to his character. Partnering Kirsten is a slightly less familiar name, but nonetheless an important one.
Roy Fredericks was only a handful of batsmen that distinguished themselves in devising a counter-attacking style to the great pace-bowlers of the 1970s. Freddo as his teammates fondly called him was a destructive batsman. He is probably best known for the Windies tour of Australia in 1975-76, where he took on the might of Lillee-Thomson. The harder they banged the ball in, the harder he cut and hooked. For example, into the second morning of a test match, he opened to what might have been a diffident reply to Australia's 329: at lunch West Indies were 130 for one, off 14 eight-ball overs; the 200 came up in the 22nd. Fredericks went on to reach a hundred from 71 balls and, though he grew tired, turned it into a match-winning 169. He is a perfect counter-weight to Kirsten batting style.
Coming a wicket down is a Legend in the Making.
Kane Williamson, might be young in age, but has already fostered a reputation as becoming a future great. Calm, serene and intelligent and with the ability to belt a shot as well as block admirably, Williamson will be a vital cog in the middle order to build a long innings. Batting at 4, is another talisman, Pakistan’s elegant amasser,
Mohammad Yousuf. The late Bob Woolmer, likened him to a Ferrari when batting and a truck when he isn’t. With the innate ability to rack up tons and tons of runs, he will play a vital role when the team bats alongside Williamson. During the early 2000s,
Graham Thorpe had already established himself as a complete batsman. With the ability to attack against both Pace and Spin and defend. Perfect examples of these are the contrasts in which he scored one of the quickest double centuries in history at Christchurch, hitting 28 fours and four sixes and juxtaposing it with his innings of 118 at Lahore, comprising of just 2 boundaries, a world record even now.
Captain, wicketkeeper, and innovator all rolled into one,
Ab de Villiers will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest to play the game. For now, he has to be content with the best in the modern sport. One of the most versatile shot makers in the game is also one who has method to his defensive strokes as the article linked to him suggests.
Here’s another article that contrasts the first and showcases his 360 degree in full. Nathan Astle, might best be remembered for owning the title of the quickest double century in world cricket, but his game is about more than that. When Astle retired, his place in New Zealand history seemed secure: 3rd highest Test run-scorer, 3rd highest Test century-maker, 2nd highest ODI run-scorer and highest ODI century-maker. He was a vital cog in the team beyond his ability to just score runs, scoring them at key moments and adding to the team in other ways. He may not be remembered as a great player, but for playing some of the best innings witnessed in a New Zealand shirt.
The irresistible entertainer completes my batting line-up.
Bowling
Opening the bowling is none other than Pidge. McGrath has seen it all and done it all. The definition of consistency, his ability to bowl in the “corridor of uncertainty” with an immaculate length, caused problems to even the best of batsmen. Over time, he gained the off-cut and bounce, and specialized in the opposition's biggest wickets - especially Atherton's and Brian Lara's - and he was unafraid to back himself publicly in these key duels. He is the leading wicket taker of all time for a fast bowler. He’s so good that I couldn’t even find one single brilliant article to link him with. But if it’s any consolation, players being mentioned as the “Next McGrath”, will provide insurance to the greatness of this man. His bowling partner is someone that literally frightens batsmen.
Jeff Thomson intimidated cricketers like no one before him and no one has truly replicated after him. With his slinging action, he regularly bowled in the mid 150’s and 160’s Kph. His bowling style, often compared to a Javelin thrower, not only generated tremendous pace, but also enabled Thommo to generate great control over his deliveries. His bouncers in his own words;
I could bowl a bouncer much fuller than everybody else because I could get it to sort of jump like a cobra. It was a bit of a blessing. It was the style I was given.
Someone who is not shy of bowling at pace himself,
Brett Lee was the more modern
cut from the same cloth to Jeff Thomson. Although, he didn't earn the tag of a true Test great, Lee finished his career as Australia’s fourth most successful bowler with 310 scalps. He worked as a brutal support for over a decade to the likes of McGrath and Gillespie. At his best, he gained outswing with the new ball and reverse with the older one, making him even more difficult for batsmen trying to steady themselves while knowing he could reach 160kph. Despite being curtailed by injuries, he became a smarter operator under Ricky Ponting's captaincy and knew when to deliver a burst of speed or a containing spell. In nine Tests following McGrath's departure, Lee stood up with 58 victims at 21.55 and also won the Allan Border Medal in 2008.
The main focus for spin comes from
Iqbal Qasim, the quiet and silent assassin to Abdul Qadir during the 1970s. Whilst, Qadir has ended up becoming one of Pakistan’s greatest spinners, it is unbelievable to note that Qasim finished his career with numbers better than his partner. Qasim was a miserly but penetrative spinner. He may not have possessed the variations modern slow left armers possess today, but he didn’t need to. The most impressive element about his bowling was the economy rate, barely going at above 2 an over. This enabled Qasim to bowl longer spells, bowl unchanged. The persistent accuracy just kept batsmen cautious, respectful & muted in their approach. Qasim was a workhorse, an underrated bowler. In spin favouring conditions, another Pakistani spinner joins him;
Abdur Rehman. A wily left arm spinner who bowls accurately & economically with nagging control, perseverance to keep plugging away on a line & length knowing the rewards will eventually pay off & the containment to keep the batsmen under pressure, controlling the flow of runs & keeping proceedings as tight as possible. Rehman’s bowling philosophy is built around bowling dot deliveries & maiden overs. He will just keep on doing this in the hope & backing that batsmen will succumb to the pressure, resulting in a lapse of concentration. Rehman was the joint quickest Pakistan spinner to 50 test wickets, getting to the feat in 11 test matches. Often, described as an 'unsung hero' who will tie an end down reliably, him and Qasim will inevitable put batsmen under tremendous pressure.
Game Plan
- Match 1: Chris has a good team lined up, with Ponting being the obvious notable name. His middle order is solid, if unspectacular and is not easy to beat. In a match with little to no assistance for bowlers, it is likely to be a close game, but the hope will be that the presence of Qasim stifling runs at one end, and a pace attack at the other, bowlers will be able to slow down the runs. Atherton is a solid opener, but he is also McGrath’s bunny and it won’t be long before the middle order, despite being slightly long is exposed. From a batting perspective, his bowlers are unlikely to get any joy against my batting. A draw or a win is expected from my team.
- Match 2: For a deteriorating pitch, Qasim is joined by fellow spinner Rehman. Both are miserly in their long bowling spells, with each closing down the options for batsmen. As the match proceeds, I expect the spin duo to be instrumental in a win.
- Match 3: Despite having two proponents of swing bowling in Zaheer Khan and Anderson, it is worth noting that Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee and to an extent Jeff Thomson, have superior records in swinging/seaming conditions than Chris’s bowlers. McGrath’s record particularly is outstanding and Lee’s demolition job in New Zealand is well known. If the match is to be won due to better bowling, then my team has a better chance of achieving that.
And at no point does Qasim come in at No 7. The shortest tail I have is in the Spin match and Lee is likelier to be the first of the tail to come onto the pitch.