It's that time of the year for Cricinfo to pick the Test team of the year and so, while the world celebrated the festive season, our staffers burned the midnight oil coming up with their nominations. Those nominations were then tallied and the 11 players with the most votes fitted into a batting order/bowling attack. The choices were largely based on performances through the calendar year - but we strongly suspect some instances of rank personal favouritism.
The openers' debate was most hotly contested. In the end it came down to the age-old dilemma - do you go for team flexibility and pick non-specialists or stick to conventional wisdom? All but one chose Michael Hussey as an opener - he bats in the middle order for Australia but has vast first-class experience at the top. There was a tie for picking his partners - Alastair Cook (four hundreds and three fifties) and Rahul Dravid (three hundreds and seven fifties) received an equal number of votes but the fact that one was a "specialist" and the other a "makeshift" resolved the tie.
Ricky Ponting (averaging 88.86 in 2006), Mohammad Yousuf (99.33) and Kumar Sangakkara (69) made it to every list, as expected. Sangakkara, who kept in eight of the nine Tests that Sri Lanka played, was the unanimous choice as the wicketkeeper. Kevin Pietersen, the second-highest run-scorer in the calendar year (1343 at 53.72), completed a formidable middle order.
Muttiah Muralitharan, with a staggering 90 wickets in 11 Tests, was statistically light years ahead of the rest (Makhaya Ntini was a distant second with 58 victims) and duly made the list (then again, which list won't he make?). Shane Warne, who tormented England in the Ashes and waved goodbye to a magnificent career, joined him in the spin department - he, too, was in everyone's team.
Makhaya Ntini, the fast bowler with the most wickets this year, leads the fast-bowling department. Partnering him is Stuart Clark (42 wickets at a superb 17.76), who began the year with a Man-of-the-Series performance in South Africa and ended it with an impressive Ashes. Mohammad Asif, with 30 wickets in five games, was the third most popular fast bowler but picking him would have meant having five bowlers in the side. One vote behind him was Andrew Flintoff and the jury decided to have him in the side for his bowling prowess, batting ability and sheer size of his heart.
AB de Villiers was the most popular 12th man, owing largely to his outstanding catching and ground fielding throughout the year. That leaves us with the final question - who will captain? No Dravid, no Mahela Jayawardene, no Brian Lara. One respondent went for Shane Warne. That left Ponting and Flintoff and you don't need to be Einstein to work out the overwhelming winner.
Cricinfo's Test team for 2006
1 Alastair Cook, 2 Michael Hussey, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Kevin Pietersen, 6 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Shane Warne, 9 Stuart Clark, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan, 12 AB de Villiers.
Comments
Posted by: Zubair Shahab on 01/02/2007
For once, a cricinfo XI that I agree with... at least.. more than usual.. Alastair Cook over Dravid?? WHAT!?! Dravid is easily one of the best players ever and it is surprising he does not make the team even if he is not a specialist opener. He comes at 3 which is even more difficult. The others, I can live with. But I'd put in Mohammad Asif ahead of Stuart Clark just because I'm Pakistani and I think he's better. Plus Mohammad Asif destroyed sides single handedly, Clark is Mcgraths puppy.. He just helps daddy out and looks good for it.
Posted by: Umair on 01/02/2007
Wherez Brian Lara?!?!
the team is incomplete without Lara!!
Posted by: Jimmy on 01/02/2007
How in da world do u guyz miss out Lara? He is an asset 2 any test team! Inzamam also happens 2 be a strong contender. Hussey opening- not a gud idea.Mat Hayden is a better choice mate!!Jayawardane?Forgot bout his stats?Think bout da test team u'v sent!!
I would have picked Dravid instead of Cook to open.
Posted by: K.Ravishankar on 01/02/2007
Yes,I very much agree with Zubair as Alastair Cook is noway a comparison to Dravid and you cannot do selections only based on statistics.
Again, Stuart Clark is too early in his career to a bein a World team.Magrath would be a choice.
Pollock is a better option for Flintoff.
Posted by: gary sweet on 01/02/2007
the only bit of original thought was warne as captain. quite clever the repondent that suggested that.
Posted by: Robert Davis on 01/02/2007
People don't really look at the balance of the team, do they? Could the panel now pick a team of the ideal players to defeat this lot? That would make much more interesting reading. Who plays these elite the best? While you always have to have Warne and Murali in as spinners, the greatest big match bowler of them all is the most unsung cricketer of this era, Anil Kumble. I'll have Stephen Fleming for some decent captaincy, which is worth a few decent players, as well as Shane Bond. Nice of you to leave me Gilchrist and Hayden; Dravid and Younis or Inzamam will do in the middle, let's have Sehwag as other opener, Brett Lee, Andre Nel and Monty. It'll be more of a contest than you think......
Posted by: chandra on 01/02/2007
GAYLE (WEST INDIES ) IS A BETTER CHOICE THAN COOK
Posted by: shadab kabir on 01/02/2007
asif definately desserves chances beofre clark. dravid has to be in side. and warnie for captain!!!!
Posted by: Shripathi Kamath on 01/02/2007
Alternate XI. Not picking the players your panel picked, but would wager on these folks to do better. No make shift openers, no vastly out of order players
good point davis. second team better than first. asif instead of lee. sehwag cert isnt second opener. lara in that isde as well, hayden and langer, why part them? followed by dravid lara inzamam kallis gilchrist kumble asif bond malinga
MY TEAM IS
1.Chris gayle
2.Rahul Dravid
3.Brian lara (captain)
here comes king of test cricket
4.Mohammad yousef (vice.captain)record breaker
5.Kevin Piterson
6.Kumar Sangakkara (w.k.)
7.Shaun Pollock
8.Anil kumble or Muttiah Muralitharan
9.Makhaya Ntini
10.Mohd. Asif
11.Monty paneser
Posted by: sheldon from WI on 01/02/2007
Has Lara retired? Or else someone certainly forgot to place his name on the list. I'd remove Ponting and place Lara in his customary #3 position.
Posted by: sameer on 01/02/2007
The big three are missing! Tendulker, Dravid and Lara. Surely these three should have a place in the team I also think that soemtimes too many Austrialians get put into the team which would be unfar on the other plaers and could upset the balance of th team. Shane Warne and Ponting are always definates. Even though Hussey is good people like Tendulker and Lara or Jaysuria should be in the opening slot
Posted by: s on 01/02/2007
what is flintoff doing he hasn't done anything, neither his performance was good or captioncy, i agree he played good in 2005 but last year was 2006 not 2005.
Mcgrath needs to be there because he is a great player and scares the batsman.
Younis khan although he didnt play very good in the last series but before thatseries he had already scored 1000 runs in year. He played very good against england in england scoring about 500 runs in series.
I am not sure about cook as he dosent plays continously in good form.
Andrew nel has being playing good but he is not there
Posted by: s on 01/02/2007
I would pick the following team
1.Hayden
2.Sangakkara
3.Ponting
4.M Yousuf
5.Lara
6.hussey
7.Warne
8.Asif
9.Ntinti
10.Mcgrath
11.Murli
12.Younis Khan
Posted by: phani on 01/02/2007
lara should be there and also stefen fleming shld be captain
Posted by: abdul on 01/02/2007
simple swap sangakkara for hussey...because he has more experience at the top!
get asif instead of clark simple because Asif got less tests than him but still has a better average.
Posted by: Thiagarajan "TJ" Ramadoss on 01/02/2007
The selection was pretty much up to the mark. The major factor in selection Sangakkara as the wicket keeper would help handling spinners far more better than any one. He is also a consistent bat.
I agree with most of this selection, but surely Hoggard deserves a place? He was the 4th highest wicket-taker in 2006 and is one of the best bowlers to left handers in the world. Indeed, he has adapted his bowling and is now threatening in all conditions. I think the rest of the team is fine, but replace Clark with Hoggard.
Posted by: sriniwas on 01/02/2007
I would go with the same team as posted, but inclusion of Anil kumble, will surely do wonders because, he is a sort of player who never says die, even when there is nothing in the pitch he fights for his share.
Also the inclusion of mohammed asif will be great
Posted by: James on 01/02/2007
Dravid
Hussey
Ponting
Jayawardne (c)
Yousuf
Pietersen
Sangakarra (wk)
Clark
Ntini
Murali
Taylor
12th man: Collingwood or Michael Clarke
Posted by: rizwan/ on 01/02/2007
the team thts been picked is good but only a few selections are baffling me!
cook over dravid?
clark over asif ?
Pietersen over Lara is a little harder to decide.
but toherwise it looks like a awesome team....
ohhh yeah wheres inzi?
hahaha...
Posted by: ajay on 01/02/2007
To be honest, putting too many Aussie and English players proves the evident bias on a primarily english website. I mean, how else would you justify the selection of Andy FlintoFF, who did nothing this year. There are 7 players from either of these 2 countries which is a bit too much. And hello...... where is Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid (even if you omit Sachin for not playing a long period this year). My eleven would be
Michael Hussey
Rahul Dravid
Brian Lara
Mohammed Yousuf
Ricky Ponting
Kumar Sangakkara
Mohd Aasif
Shane Warne
Muttiah Murlitharan
Makhaya Ntini
Glen Mcgrath
Posted by: A.M.Krishna on 01/02/2007
I would like to select a completely different eleven which is equally competent to replace the existing team.
My Team is
Andrew Strauss
Rahul Dravid
Jaques Kallis
Nathan Astle
Michael Clarke
Brian Lara
Adam Gilchrist
shaun Pollock
Irfan Pathan
Anil Kumble
Shane Bond
chaminda Vaas(12th man)
Posted by: mahir on 01/02/2007
the Cook is not right one, all rest is fine, will have one of Hayden, Langer, or Dravid but my first choice will be Chris Gayle to take opening birth.
Posted by: Ryan Coetzee on 01/02/2007
Once again cricinfo puts on display its English bias, this time by choosing Flintoff over Kallis for the 2006 world test team, ostensibly for his "bowling prowess, batting ability and" - get this - "sheer size of his heart". Really? Go and look at the 2006 stats, why don't you?
When are you people going to get over your obsession with Flintoff, which appears to be based on a combination of one good series and the fact that he seems to be such a nice guy?
In 2006, and any other year for that matter, Flintoff is outclassed by Kallis as an all rounder. Of course that's only true if your intellect overrules your emotional attachments.
Posted by: MONO on 01/02/2007
1. b lara
2. m hayden
3. r ponting
4. m yousuf
5. k pietersen
6. m hussey
7. m boucher
8. s warne
9. m muli
10.m ntini
11.s clark
12.j kallis
Posted by: Paul on 01/02/2007
Duncan Fletcher would never allow it - the tail starts at 9...! (or 7 given flintoff's form this winter)
Posted by: Selwyn F. Horsford on 01/02/2007
Picking a 12 these days is difficult -- there are perhaps two players that I would have picked that wern't selected and those would be West Indies Brian Lara and Austrailia's Mathew Hayden
Posted by: Ahsan Raza on 01/02/2007
I don't see how Flintoff can get into this list. He hasn't done anything this year that one can mention. He played pretty good in the India series, but that was about it. And he didn't do anything special in the India series either, because he didn't convert any of his 50s into 100s, and didn't end up taking that many wickets.
Just because he can bowl and bat well, and has a "big heart", you have to question how he performed in 2006. He was pretty hopeless throughout the year, except the India series, and his captaincy was nothing special either. Sorry, but past performce doesn't grant anyone a place in a team if he doesn't perform in the current games.
Posted by: Robert on 01/02/2007
Just going through your Test XI for 2006. Although I agree with all choices, would you still play 2 spinners if the pitch was a seamers paradise? In South Africa they rarely play a spinner, I guess mostly because there aren't any here of true international quality. Basically put my question here is: "if the player is good enough should they play on any surface?" After all, is there a surface Warne or Murili wouldn't get any turn on?
Posted by: Nikhil on 01/02/2007
The test team selection of 2006 is extremely disappointing because it contains no Indians. I find it disappointing because no Indian performed well enough to be on the Test Team of the year. No Indian deserves it. We played so poorly this year.
Posted by: MarsBar on 01/02/2007
I have to agree with most about Flintoff not deserving a spot. He's gone down hill since the
Australia vs World XI series were he only had one good innings with the ball out of both the Test matches and ODI's. He hasn't been much of a threat
ever since the 2005 Ashes series.
Posted by: Ankit on 01/02/2007
"sheer size of heart" is a horrendous excuse for picking a player that every Cricinfo reporter seems to have an obsession with. Maybe Flintoff's heart is getting in the way of actually doing something on the cricket pitch? Why not pick Kumble, who has a big heart and has actually done something this year?
I might even agree with the exclusion of Dravid from this particular list as he has not been at his best this year, but how do you justify leaving out Asif, who has 30 wickets from just five Tests this year? Even if you insist on an all-rounder (by no means a necessity in this particular team), Kallis is a far superior option based on performance this year alone.
Posted by: west indian on 01/02/2007
Cricinfo just lost all its trustby the omission of the World's greastest batsman of this era Brian Charles Lara. As a writer you folks have lost your screws and any TEST team you pick must include LARA. Your team is a farce what of Glen Mc Grath? Tighten your screws
Posted by: Fizaan Farooq on 01/02/2007
1. Chris Gayle
2. Michael Hussey
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Brian Lara
5. Mohammad Yousuf
6. Rahul Dravid
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Shane Warne
9. Shoaib Akhtar
10.Mohammad Asif
11.Muttiah Muralitharan
Why does everyone love Kevin Pietersen and think he is a good player.There is nothing special about him.He cannot make a half century without being 2 lives.England fans call him the "hero" of the last ashes test-2005 when he made 158 or something like that.Well he was dropped 3 times during that knock so i dont understand why cricinfo and the rest of the world thinks pieersen is a good choice when he cannot make even a half century without being given a life whether it be a plum lbw shout turned down or an obvious knick caught behind which the umpire "didn't hear" or a catch gone down, KP gets away with it all.
Posted by: Deals on 01/02/2007
flintoff is over-rated in batting, kallis is much better. Asif is a better bowler then clarke. Hes played on pitches with less help for the seamers and has still been world class. Alistar cook to open? Hes bottled it this summer, Dravid or Gayle is a better pick.
1. Gayle
2. Hussey
3. Pointing (C)
4. Yousuf
5. KP
6. Kallis
7. Sangakkara
8. Warne
9. Ntini
10. Asif
11. Murali
3 of your selection is close to be very bias:
Flintof??
Cook?
Pietersen??
All 3 combined cannot produce like Lara, Dravid is beeter than Pieterson any day and put Chanderpaul to open instead of Cook. Kallis/Pollock for Flintoff
Lara for Peterson
Chanderpaul for Cook.
Thanks
Posted by: RANJIT SIDHU on 01/02/2007
I would go with the following
1.Rahul Dravid(+)
2.Hussey
3.Mohamad Yousuf
4.R Ponting(vc)
5.Inzam-ul-Haq
6.B Lara
7.Sachin Tendulkar(c)
8.Flintoff
9.Pollock
10.Murali
11.Mcgrath
12th J Kallis
Posted by: dennis on 01/02/2007
A Test team without Dravid and Lara, especially on the basis of performances in 2006? I believe Dravid would bring more stability as first-down while coming in instead of Cook and Lara could bolster the middle order while Flintoff, the big-hear that he is, could partner Hussey at the top. If Tendulkar had at least one innings this year that brought back memories of class-player that he is, he would also make it to my XI instead of Hussey.
Posted by: Muhammad Imran on 01/02/2007
For the opening slot I would prefer Smith over cook due to his ability as a captain and he is a handful opener aswell. I would like to put Sangakara as number 2 and Hussey as number 6 as you may have noticed his batting with the tail in recent times. I will definitely pick Muhammad Asif over Clark. Pick Andrew Symonds as the 12th man as he can be utalised in any field of cricket. The team is as under
1: Smith (Captain)
2: Sangakara
3: Ricky Ponting (Vice captain)
4: Muhammad Yousaf
5: Keven Peitersen
6: Hussey
7: Flintoff
8: Shane Warne
9: Ntini
10: Muhammad Asif
11: Murlitharan
Symonds (12th man)
Posted by: subhadeep on 01/02/2007
cook's batting has come apart in the ashes. if the team is based only on performances in 2006, 'freddy' flintoff should not be in there.among the other openers on view this year, dravid was the best. so he has to be in there, not only see off the new ball but to allow the others to play around him. i would include kallis in place of flintoff, simply because taking any other batsman would damage the balance. the only other spot of bother is pietersen and the candidate for that is lara and even pietersen will chose lara ahead of himself. so the team would be :
michael hussey
rahul dravid
ricky ponting (capt)
brian lara
mohammed yousuf
jack kallis
kumar sangakkara
shane warne
stuart clark
muttiah muralitharan
makhaya ntini
Posted by: Aswin on 01/02/2007
I would choose the following team - too many batsmen though:
1. K. Sangakkara
2. M. Hayden
3. R. Ponting
4. R. Dravid
5. B. Lara
6. A. Prince
7. M. Hussey
8. S. Pollock
9. M. Ntini
10. M. Asif
11. S. Warne / S. Clarke
Posted by: Sean Jones on 01/02/2007
MY team would be..
1. A Strauss
2. W Jaffer
3. R Ponting
4. A Cook
5. M Yousuf
6. K Sangakkara
7. A Flintoff
8. S Pollock
9. J Taylor
10. S Warne
11. M Panesar
here is my team against cricinfo's test team
1) M. Hayden
2) KP
3) R. Ponting
4) MoYo
5) M. Hussey
6) K. Sangakkara
7) Fredi
8) S. Pollock
9) M. Asif
10) S. Warne
11) M. Murlitharan
12 Man would be Rawalpindi Express
Posted by: Saquib Khan on 01/02/2007
I think Cook does not deserve the place in the playing XI..What about Jacques Kallis and Abdur Razzaq they are one of the greatest allrounder Cricket had produced. They are much better than Flintoff or Peterson. And How Cricinfo had forgot the Legend Brian Charles Lara. I would go with the following:
was goona choose bell.......but i thought at least five bowlers would be neccessary........even in tests
Posted by: dave on 01/03/2007
smith & dravad to open
ponting, tendulkar, lara & kallis in the middle
sangakara as keeper
warne, pollock, ntini & akter as bowlers
all rounders are very underated in test cricket and kallis and pollock are both solid
warne has the best cricket brain of this era and should've captained aussie years ago.
Posted by: sagar chittori on 01/03/2007
the selection is based on permanent class as well as the current form (secondary cutoff) i would choose the following player in team:
1)Chris Gayle
2)Matthew Hayden
3)Ricky Ponting
4)Michael Hussey
5)Brian Lara
6)Adam Gilchrist
7)Shaun Pollock
8)Shane Warne
9)Shane Bond
10)Mohd. Asif
11)Glenn McGrath
12)Shane Watson
I know i have not included world class player like tendulkar, murlitharan,and on their day they can demolish any world XI but..
Posted by: imran on 01/03/2007
i think it balnce team.all top of players inside. i think without asif.dravid may be we should think abt it.fredi.cook may be we can drop them.
Posted by: Zubair on 01/03/2007
Well I won't like to have Cook & Sangakkara type of players in the team of the year.I would prefer agressive players in the side. Like Chris Gayle AB Devilliers & Kevin Pietersen.And as far as bowlers are concearned.This team is really missing Shane Bond & Moh.d Asif.So I would like to remove Stuart Clark & Shane Warne.We already Have a spinner Murali there,so why we should go with Warne.So the Team of my likening will be:
1.Chris Gayle
2.AB Devilliers[WK]
3.Ricky Ponting{C}
4.Mohammad Yousuf
5.Kevin Pietersen
6.Mike Hussey
7.Andrew Flintoff
8.Shane Bond
9.Muttiah Muralitharan
10.Makhaya Ntini
11.Mohammad Asif
12.Mohammad Ashraful
Posted by: Jackie Goodwin on 01/03/2007
I mostly agree with the selection, but would have picked Jacques Kallis over Andrew Flintoff - Jacques is the best all rounder in the world and derserves a place in the side.
Posted by: SAHIL on 01/03/2007
I like the cricinfo 11 however believe this side is more balanced
1) C Gayle (attacking)
2) S Jayasuriya (attacking)
3) R Ponting (Stroke player)
4) R Dravid ( THE WALL)
5) M Hussey (amazing average)
6) B Lara (Masterpiece)
7)A Gilchrist (Fine Keeper and Batsman)
8)M Ntini (Fast and Furious)
9)S Pollock ( Glenn Mcgrath's Clone)
10)G Mcgrath (Impecabble line and length)
11)M Muralitharan (Spinking)
12)H Gibbs
Posted by: Krishna Kannan on 01/03/2007
Hello!!!! U forgot Lara and Dravid. They are the best in test cricket...... and no part time openers. I would rather go with this team....
Mohammad Asif should be in the team instead of Stuart Clark and Where is Lara? Alistair Cook does not deserve a place in the team. Any Srilankan opener should replace Cook.
Posted by: Paul on 01/03/2007
Only four Australians? After beating allcomers this year? Take out Cook and Flintoff and put in Hayden and Kallis as opener and allrounder. Apart from Pietersen, no Englishmen comes close to making the team, and those two choices were made on sentiment not performance, as you alluded to. Why should England have three players, I ask you?
without lara, mcgrath you cant complete the 11man list for test team
Posted by: hari on 01/04/2007
Team looks good. But I'd have preferred Gilchrist to Sangakkara though the latter has a fantastic year simply because Gilchrist is better No.6 or No.7 batsman.
and what's AB devillers doing there? You don't pick 12th man just for his fielding. Do you?
Posted by: Srihari on 01/04/2007
In picking their 12 for 2006, Cricinfo staffers have descended cheaply by pandering to statistics and prejudices, rather than any hard-headed horse sense. While Yousuf, Warne, Ponting, Murali and Hussey deserve their places, most of the rest are debatable. Cook and deVilliers? The reasoning that deVilliers comes into the team on the strength of his fielding is a ton of trash. Dravid will walk into this team even if he has had a quiet year by his standards and the opener's slot would be a toss-up between Hayden and Fleming. Sangakkara, Ntini and Clark are good picks while Flintoff does not compare favourably against Kallis. Surely, of all people, Cricinfo staffers would know that a statistics-smart computer program could have picked the exact team they have. It begs reasoning and imagination, requiring them to put their money where their mouth is not where how the numbers stack.
Posted by: Ravi on 01/04/2007
I agree a bit with your test team,but i really think the 3 bigs should be there :Dravid,Lara and Tendulkar.It is a big loss not to have them in any test side.How about a ODI team? Are you guys gonna make a ODI team?
Posted by: Ammad Siddiqui on 01/04/2007
Despite being a Pakistani, everyone baffles me on this post. To make things clear at first, the article was on the players of 2006; not players of the current generation. At times you have players like Tendulkar, Kumble, Pollock, Inzamam, Jaffar, McGrath and Fleming included. Dude, they didnt do much 2006 compared to othters. Otherwise I would have included Don Bradman. For people like Tendulkar he really had a poor year. Kumble- you simply just cant include 3 spinners in the team. As far as McGrath is concerned, he missed most of the action as he was out of the year. So people please stop complaining and acting like kids, its for 2006 only.
As far as the selection is concerned I do feel strongly about many. Even though its a tie and its about specialist openers, lets also not forget that Cook is really a one-down batsman. Same goes for Hussey for those people arguing he shoudnt be at the top. In fact he is an opener. I had chose Dravid over Cook. Flintof?? What is this man doing in the squad. He didnt do anything of note in 2006. He should actually be axed if I were the coach. Kallis would make a good option. I had also replace Pietersen with Lara any given day, but then again it would be very very close. I dont agree with AB DeVillars with Muhammad Asif as 12th man. Not sure what DeVillars did worthy in 2006. For those who are arguing about M Asif and S Clarke, its pretty much close so stop complaining.
Those who say Cricinfo is bias on selecting English players, I would agree halfly. But then again arent you guys being bias on selecting the team including your countrymen (this post is full of Indians and Pakistanis, even though I am myself.)
Close contendors:
Jayawardane, Pietersen, Cook, Younis Khan, Kumble, Pollock and Chanderpaul.
Posted by: Beckham on 01/04/2007
it's totally biased of the australians.
once again icc has proved his biased of whites.
(against the asians)
Hussey insted of Gayle
Clark instead of Asif
cook instead of Dravid
peiterson instead of lara
its totally biased.
how warne can captain
he has not played a drama of captaincy in tests
how could he be
Ponting, Lara, Inzamam, Dravid ..... can we compare Warne with them.
Selecting Warne as captain is really a New Years Joke. Hi! Hi! Hi!
My team stands
1. Chris Gayle
2. Rahul Dravid (W.K)
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Mohammed Yousuf
5. Inzamam Ul haq (Cap.)
6. Brian Lara
7. Andrew Flintoff (V.Cap.)
8. Glenn Mcgrath
9. Muralidaran
10.Makhaya Ntini
11.Mohammed Asif
12.Herschele Gibbs
I choose Inzi as captain than Ponting,Lara,Flintoff...
because he keeps the momentom going....
Posted by: Paul on 01/04/2007
I'm going to go with exprience with mine, whose more exprienced than: Warne,McGrath,Murali,Tendulkar,Lara,Ponting and Pollock? I'll go with the following:
my one day team for 2007 is as bellow.
1. C Gayle
2. Shahid Afride
3. Ponting
4. M. yousuf
5. Tendolker
6. Simonds
7. A Gilchrist
8. Mcgrath
9. M. Asif
10.Murali
11Nitini
Posted by: kamal on 01/04/2007
My test team of 2007 is :
1.Hayden
2.Drvid
3.Ponting
4.M.Yousuf
5.Lara
6.A Gilchrist
7.Warne
8.Murli
9.Micgrath
10.Asif.
11Nitini
and 12th Man Shoib Akhtar
Posted by: sunil on 01/04/2007
Based on the current form in 2006, cricinfo eleven looks fine. But i bet my eleven will beat the cricinfo 11 any day and any pitch
1.Adam Gilchrist (wk)
2.Verender Sehwag
3.Rahul Dravid
4.Steven Fleming (c0
5.Jayawardhane
6.B. Lara
7.J.Kallis
8.S.Pollock
9.Brett Lee
10.Daniel Vettori
11.Mohd.Asif
12.Steve Harmisson
Posted by: Dapper Dan Man on 01/04/2007
Completely agree with the selected team. (Even the 12th man. I am a huge AB de Villiers fan, and I think, current infuriating form notwithstanding, he will soon emerge as the next great cricketer from South Africa.)
What is lamentable is that both openers in the team are not even the first choice opening batsmen of their own national teams (though they are the right choices for the Cricinfo team). The dearth of quality openers is so acute that hardly any international Test team (only Oz and SL) has a fixed opening partnership. Arguably, the only opener who will be considered while drawing up a list of Great Batsmen from the last couple of decades will be Matthew Hayden. Should the paucity of quality openers be conveniently blamed on the cricket connoisseur's 'cause of all evil' - one day cricket. Or is it that commercial considerations have increasingly led to batsmen friendly pitches which go to sleep once the new ball has been negotiated enabling middle order willow wielders to outshine their peers at the summit of the batting order?
Posted by: John on 01/04/2007
Are you guys at Cricinfo gonna make a ODI team selection? This is mine:
I would like to see Mohammad Asif instead of S.Clark
Posted by: Raghav on 01/04/2007
I would like to know the capabilities of the panel itself and its composition. Because it looks nothing beyond a coup to discard Dravid in favor of Alistair Cook. Cook in favor of Dravid - you must be a retired car-salesman to make that choice. And, whats this bloody logic of one being a specialist etc? If Trescothick hadnt gone back, wouldnt he be opening with Strauss in Ashes, with Cook at No.3? Is Hussey an opener now? Stop this whole farcical selection process, if it cant be free of any sort of favoritsm.
Posted by: Urchin on 01/04/2007
After going through the list i have few questions...
1. Do we need to play two spinners? I prefer Warne over Murali.
2. Why Flintof and peterson (Peterson is M. Asif's bunny this year on the tour of Pakistan to England and Flintof form is known to everyone)?
3. Why cook? but can be argued...
and my team will be...
1 Alastair Cook, 2 Lara, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Inzi, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 8 Shane Warne, 9 Stuart Clark, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 M. Asif, 12 Murali
Posted by: Olaf on 01/04/2007
Its got to be Pollock ahead Flintoff this year or for that fact any year!
Posted by: Shahriar on 01/04/2007
This eleven will be very tough to beat in TESTS:
Smith and Lara to open.
Dravid, Ponting, Yousuf in the middle order.
Gilly - wicket keeper
Murali and Warne - two prone spin attack.
Lee - High Express pace.
Ntini - Express pace.
Asif - Line and length.
This team consists super pace bowling, best spinners, best keeper bats, top three middle orders and very solid openers.
Greame Smith
Lara
Dravid
Ponting
Yousuf
Gilly
Murali
Warne
Lee
Ntini
Asif
Posted by: Gurjot Singh Ahluwalia on 01/04/2007
Ludicrous is all I can say about the reasoning to not pick Rahul Dravid by cricinfo. Let me just check the team again....yeah...Michael Hussey as an opener?????I dont care where he bats for his domestic side or county side the question is does he open the batting for Australia either in Tests or ODI's(International Cricket is far superior than any other crap)? If the answer is no then he is a makeshift opener. Oooohh....something along those lines is the reason for not picking Rahul Dravid. Wow you pick a guy who's just had 1 year in Test Cricket over 10yrs of experience and who is still in pretty good form. Also Alastair Cook over Rahul Dravid ....o my god....you have gotta be kidding. Rahul Dravid would bat better at age 50 than Cook would ever do in his prime.However way these selections have been made there are some huge blunders in there.I mean you could even Rahul at 3 or even 4 if needed.And he would also make a much better captain than Ponting because he doesnt have puppets like Warne and McGrath.
Posted by: hame on 01/04/2007
without dravid and lara its weakest team what you have slected all together its " POOR SELECTION "
Posted by: Saquib Khan on 01/04/2007
Have a look at my ODI Team of 2007... Any competetor...
1)Adam Gilchrist
2)Chris Gayle
3)Ricky Ponting
4)Mohd Yousuf
5)Michael Hussey
6)Jacques Kallis
7)Abdur Razzaq
8)Shaun Pollock
9)Muttiah Muralitharan
10)Mohd Asif
11)Shane Bond
Since Mcgrath and Warne are retired from International Cricket... Hence they are not taken. So this one is my ODI Team of 2007. What's your Cricinfo?
Posted by: Mohammed on 01/05/2007
I can't understand why you wouldn't put Brian Lara. The best batsmen. Not a lot of batsmen can compete with him.
12. I know this is test n he hasnt had a fantastic year but Shahid Afridi would have to be # 12.
Oh n as for Sahil, u don't have yosuf on ur team. U pick hussey cuz he got a good average but Yousuf has an average of almost a 100. Ya can't beat that
Posted by: Chula on 01/05/2007
I think it's ridiculous to have Warne in the team just because he's retiring. He averaged over 30 in 2006, and didn't exactly "torment" England (avg close to 30 in the series)
Posted by: Farley, Barbados on 01/05/2007
It is illogiical to pick a test team for 2006 without including Brian Charles Lara, the best of all time,Sachin Tendulkar, and Glen McGrath. I guess that these players must be injured or unavailable
Posted by: tassietiger on 01/05/2007
I wonder if Cricinfo staff are mainly British. In 13 matches in 2006 Cook scored 1013 runs @46.04 whereas Dravid scored 1095 runs in 12 matches @ 60.8. In 10 matches Flintoff scored 469 runs @ 31.26 and 33 wickets @ 33.78. Kallis in 8 matches got 620 runs @ 44.4 and 15 wickets @ 32.73. That is a huge difference in anyone's language. My world 11 for 2006 is:
We played the rest of the world last year and gave them the hiding of a lifetime. To the couple of people who picked an entire team without an Aussie in them - you have lost all credibility. Go aussies - best team in the world by a mile.
PS Those who profess Tendulkar etc must remember that this is the best team of 2006. Ponting is a much better player than Lara and Tendulkar - look at the records of each of the three - in cricket statistics dont lie.
Posted by: gyanendra mishra on 01/05/2007
well my best eleven would be
j.langer
s.fleming
r.ponting
k.peiterson
b.lara(C)
m.yousuf
k.sangakara(wk)
s.pollock(v.c)
s.warne
m.murlithran
l.malinga
Posted by: j on 01/07/2007
This side will have the same problem as the world team from the superseries. feilding when picking a team. who will be slips and what will the general stadard being also stacks of players are out of position. also what type of pitch are they playing on? i will list three teams one to play on a pace friendly pitch next on batting friendly and third on a spin friendly pitch
1]Langer 1} langer 1] dravid
2]hayden 2] hayden 2] gale
why change the best opening partnership except dravid and gale are better against spin
3] Ponting best no3 anywhere
4] Lara seccond greatest behind bradman
5]M Yousif what a year
6]Kallis Best allrounder
7] Gilchrist is only in over sangakara because there are enough batsman to build an innings but no one can match gilly's attacking play and both are exceptional keepers.
8] Warne
9] Clark 9]Clark 9] Kumble
10] Asif
11] Nitini 11] murali 11] murali
imagine having to face warne, kumble and murali in a dustbowl probably the only partnership that would have a chance wouldd be lara and neil harvey.
12] Symonds is the ultimate 12th man. brilliant feilder bowls spin and medium pace, is one of the best hitters in the world and in 2006 he proved himself as a test batsman
Posted by: Craig C on 01/07/2007
For people who wonder why A.B is in there...he has been the best fielder n 2006. And Jonty Rhodes thinks he is the best in the world.
12th man can't bat or bowl...only field...and that is why A.B was selected in the cricinfo 12.
Posted by: Rabs on 01/07/2007
There can be and will be countless debates.
Here is my eleven:
1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Michael Hussey, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Brian Lara, 6 Younis Khan,7 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 8 Shane Warne, 9 Stuart Clark, 10 Jerome Taylor, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan, 12 AB de Villiers.
Oh and I did this taking into account SR and not just avg., if am not mistaken (stand to be corrected) NO has something to do with batting average.
Posted by: Sandeep on 01/09/2007
Well the team would to an extent depend on the pitch type. If its Perth or Gabba pointless having two spinners. Chuck Warney out and How on earth does Cook fit in? Matty Hayden is better so r many others. And how come Sangakkara batting below Pieterson?
Posted by: lankan boy on 01/11/2007
Oh yes u done it again...shame on you....
A.Cook
A.Flintof
K.Peiterson...wat they have achived so exceptinol in year 2006? I mean except playing for Eng???
and then...
Stuart Clark, is he there only b'cos he took 22 wkts against a team like Eng?Do u still think Eng is the second best test nation in the world? (as mentioned by some bias OZ commentators)
Posted by: Raj on 01/11/2007
Check out the team I selected. The selections are also based on the LG rankings.
Hayden and Dravid would provide the left hand - right hand opening combination. Hayden is aggressive while Dravid would build the innings.
Ponting and yousuf - No explanations needed.
Brian Lara is automatically in since he is a superb player no doubt. I chose him as a captain over Dravid and Ponting because Brian is more senior more experience and is also an aggressive thinking captain.
Kallis is undoubtedly the best bowling allrounder at present in the game. Pollock is in too.
Sangakkara is definitely a better keeper and batsman in tests than Gilchrist or Boucher,so he is in.
Murali and Warne - No explanations needed.
And finally Bond.Bond had a good year in 2006 since he is in the top 10 and he is really quick and can take 2-3 wickets quickly. McGrath misses out, pollock makes up for him.
I really tried to squeeze Inzi in but I just couldnt replace anyone else for him so he is the 12th man.
Test Squad:
1. M Hayden(AUS)
2. R Dravid(vice Captain- IND)
3. R Ponting(AUS)
4. M Yousuf(PAK)
5. B Lara(Captain - WI)
6. J Kallis(All Rounder -SA)
7. S. Pollock(All Rounder - SA)
8. K Sangakkara(Keeper -SL)
9. S Warne(AUS)
10. M Muralitharan(SL)
11. S Bond(NZ)
Posted by: Raj on 01/11/2007
My One Day World XI:
1. S Jayasuriya(SL)
2. C Gayle(WI)
3. R Ponting(AUS)
4. M Yousuf(PAK)
5. K Pietersen(ENG)
6. A Symmonds(Allrounder - AUS)
7. M Dhoni(WicketKeeper -IND)
8. S Pollock(Allrounder -SA)
9. M Muralitharan(SL)
10. S Bond(NZ)
11. G McGrath(AUS)
Jayasuriya and Gayle could together put on 100 runs in the first 5 overs if they like ;).
Ponting and Yousuf - Again no explanation needed.
Pietersen has been in tremendous form in the one dayers for 2006. I especially remember his innings against WI in the Champions Trophy.It was superb.
Symmonds and Pollock are the 2 allrounders. Symmonds has been in murderous form. He can tear apart any bowling line up with his hitting. Pollock can come in later down the order and play his usual attacking cricket and up the run rate(only if he is needed).
Dhoni - He will butcher the ball, eventually changing its shape. haha :) He is a harder hitter of the cricket ball than Gilchrist which is why I picked him.
Murali - No explanation needed. What a guy :)
Pollock with McGrath would be the best one day opening bowling attack with Pace, swing and Consistency. Bond would be tear away quick who can blow away any batting line up.
12th man is I Bradshaw.
Posted by: Steve on 01/12/2007
Incredibly biased team, the Australians were the dominant team of the year and the English were whitewashed, yet they still retain three spots in the team and all three are highly dubious. The inherent English bias at cricinfo is a thing to behold, but there is no justification for Flintoff and Cook being in the team. Hayden had an excellent 2006, Dravid would have been a better choice than cook, and although I'm happy to leave Pietersen I think Lara would be a good choice at 5.
Or if you choose not to play five specialist bowlers and think the batting is not enough, you can drop Asif for Pietersen.
Posted by: AK on 01/27/2007
the final eleven includes three, count them, three! players from an embarrassingly lousy England team. am i missing the magic? Maybe Pietersen and Flintoff, but Cook? When there was no room for Dravid?
Posted by: Raj on 01/29/2007
My ODI team-
1.Sachin Tendulkar- NO EXPLAINATION NEEDED
2.Sanath Jayasuriya- CONSITANT HARD HITTER
3.Rahul Dravid- nearly 10,000 ODI RUNS
4.Kevin Pieterson-THE DESTROYER
5.Shahid Afridi- THE MENENSER
6.Michael Hussy- Amazing AVERAGE~~~MR.CRICKET~~~
7.Mahendra Singh Dhoni-THE FINISHER
8.Shaun Pollock-Good ODI ALLROUNDER
9.Muttiah Muriltharan-NO EXPLAINATION NEEDED
10.Shane Bond- Quick WICKET TAKER
11.Glenn McGrath- NO EXPLAINATION NEEDED
very close contendors: Brian Lara, Sourav Ganguly,Ricky Ponting and Chris Gayle
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