SA Footy

Well now that it is the new year i thought i would look back and pick a Test XI and ODI XI based on form in 2007. Now bear in mind that Australia played in very few tests so therefore will not be to many in the side.

Test XI

Jaques
Jaffer
Sangakkara
Kallis
Chanderpaul
Ganguly
Jayawardene
Kumble
Khan
Murali
Steyn

*Have used Kumar as the keeper. No other keepers could displace Jayawardene as a batsmen and why pick another keeper when you have one in the side.

* Honourable mentions go to Cook, Tendulkar, Bell, Pieterson, Ul Haq, Ntini, Panesar and Lee (Very unlucky but only played 4 games)

ODI XI

Hayden
Tendulkar
Ponting
Yousuf
Ganguly
Chanderpaul
Dhoni
Hogg
Vettori
Khan
McGrath

* Honourable mentions go to Singh, AB De Villiers, Jayawardene, Kallis, Michael Clarke, Powell, Fernando, Bracken and Shane Bond.

The ODI side is very light on for bowling. Otherwise good sides.

rod_rooster wrote:The ODI side is very light on for bowling. Otherwise good sides.

Too light in hindsight.

It was a toss of the coin between Kallis and Chanderpaul so could easily swap those two for a more well rounded side.

I reckon you could replace one of Vettori or Hogg in the ODI side I reckon one spinner is enough even tho both had good years

I'd replace Hogg

hondo71 wrote:I reckon you could replace one of Vettori or Hogg in the ODI side I reckon one spinner is enough even tho both had good years

I'd replace Hogg

Yes you would if you where playing a real ODI but i think for such a side they deserve to be picked.Vettori has been fantastic, and Hogg has been pretty good as well. Next bowlers that where in line were Anderson, Fernando and Powell.

What about Taitys' world cup Bowling performances?

Pup wrote:

hondo71 wrote:I reckon you could replace one of Vettori or Hogg in the ODI side I reckon one spinner is enough even tho both had good years

I'd replace Hogg

Yes you would if you where playing a real ODI but i think for such a side they deserve to be picked.Vettori has been fantastic, and Hogg has been pretty good as well. Next bowlers that where in line were Anderson, Fernando and Powell.

Fair enough but for mine I think you need to pick a side that would actually go out and play otherwise why not just list the top 6 bowling and batting averages for the year and be done with it? (rather than picking a side)

TBH I think isolating performances in a time period to pick a side is always difficult because it leads to picking players based on averages rather than their underlying potential (the same problem plagues Mike Sheahan's top 50 AFL players). Better off to pick the best sides at a point in time (ie, a side that would best represent the Planet Earth at the time ) without getting too hung up on recent averages.

Just IMO

FWIW I think the sides you picked looked good

I agree, it is very hard to pick a side from 2007 when for example Australia only played 3 tests and countrys like England played 12. That is why Cook and Bell are close to selection while Hayden , Ponting, Pup and co are not. It does not really give you an accurate idea of the best team in the world, just the best out of who has played a lot of cricket. Really these things are just to help me avoid working/studying..

For what its worth if i had to displace a spinner it would be Hogg and his replacement would be Powell.

Pup wrote:I agree, it is very hard to pick a side from 2007 when for example Australia only played 3 tests and countrys like England played 12. That is why Cook and Bell are close to selection while Hayden , Ponting, Pup and co are not. It does not really give you an accurate idea of the best team in the world, just the best out of who has played a lot of cricket. Really these things are just to help me avoid working/studying..
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actually australia played 4 tests this year!!!. and how can you say that ponting and hayden and pup are close to selection but you picked Jaques when he only played 3 out of the 4 tests

with your one day side Andrew symonds would should be in it before yousuf.
yousuf got 1042 runs at 52 and symonds got 808 at 62 and symonds saves 15 runs a match in the field gets runouts and bowls useful mediums and offspinners

the joker wrote:actually australia played 4 tests this year!!!. and how can you say that ponting and hayden and pup are close to selection but you picked Jaques when he only played 3 out of the 4 tests

So they did, forgot to include the boxing day test.

You have to realise Ponting and Clarke bat in the position where other players (Kallis, Ganguly, Chanderpaul and co) have made a mountain of runs, while the best openers consisted of Jaffer, Cook, Jaques and the likes. Personally i think Jaques finish to the year has been brilliant and i just thought he had done enough to pip the other openers. Just a personal opinion.