October 26, 2010

As any cricket fan now knows, ESPN Cricinfo announced their all-time Cricket team.

Not team of the century, not team of the decade. This is it, the 11 best to ever step on the field.

The World XI:

Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Viv Richards, Garry Sobers, Adam Gilchrist, Malcolm Marshall, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Dennis Lillee

But here’s my stab at it >>

Zubin’s World XI:

Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, Brian Lara, Don Bradman, Garry Sobers, Keith Miller, Alan Knott, Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose.

This side in my opinion, is superior to the all-time side because:

  1. It’s a better fielding unit. Sobers, Miller, Knott, Marshall, Ambrose, Warne were outstanding close in or in the outfield.

  2. Gavaskar and Sehwag are just an awesomely versatile combination. One a destroyer, the other the perfect tricky pitch foil who could open it up if he wanted to and backed away from no one.

  3. Right-Left combination across the line-up would give most bowling line-ups fits.

  4. I think this team strikes a better tempo… even if Sehwag was lost, Lara wouldn’t scratch around… Bradman would be well, Bradman… Sobers and Miller would carry the score over the top, Knott or Warne would annoy and Akram could put the result beyond doubt.

  5. This is a more versatile bowling line-up. Not in terms of creativity, but in terms of what any opposition would face. Curtly and Garner were their own brand of fast bowling and to me King Curt is too irresistible a force to be excluded. You get intimidation, bounce, pace and discipline. Warne is just a spectacle. Marshall and Akram a dream opening line-up. Miller + Ambrose would be amazing too…Sobers could bowl whatever was needed… Sehwag could tie up one end for Warne to do the rest on Day 4 or 5.

  6. Having two all-rounders adds longevity to the team. Less load on the bowlers, results in the luxury of using them in shorter spells and it lets the batsmen have an off-day without too much damage being incurred. In the official World XI, Sobers has too much of the load, not that he would mind.

Credible Alternatives:

Sachin for Lara. It pained me to take SRT out of this. But even Sachin would pay to watch Lara, and that says it all. Lara would wish to have SRT’s consistency… but I reckon what SRT wants from Lara is a bit more unattainable. Sachin remains, in my eyes, the most versatile batsman ever to step foot on the field. No situation, no rule change, no format, no pitch, no bowler can stop him from scoring runs. Unfortunately, people say the same about Bradman too and so I had to make a hard but fair call. If Sachin is able to keep his 90+ average over another two seasons (half way there), I will be forced to reconsider this selection.

Imran Khan for Miller. This was a tough one too… but I got to go with KM because he just made it all look so easy… he was Flintoff but with stats to back it up…rapid, hit the ball a mile, brilliant fielder… Imran was awesome but I am not a fan of the “let me be an awesome bowler first, then be a lesser bowler and fire up my batting chops” career. I prefer the Botham or Kapil Dev trajectory… burn bright and even if it is a short while, the world will remember you.

I am not going to justify Murali vs. Warne (are you kidding?), or Lillee/Hadlee for Marshall (especially on Asian pitches) or McGrath for Ambrose (ask an Aussie who he’d like to face).

Who would be captain? Shane Keith Warne.

Current players who could possibly break into this team at the end of their careers? Kevin Pietersen (needs to step it up) and Dale Steyn.




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