SA Footy

MINE:

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
G Chappell
Border
S Waugh
Gilchrist
Warne
Gillespie (3rd quick hardest spot to call) Worlds best quick in prime. Handy night watch.
Lillee
Mcgrath

Would have been tough to leave Boon out.

I'd have Taylor in place of Langer so he could captain the team and add strength to the slip area, I'd also include Bruce Reid.

yeah taylor v langer close call howevr i considered the partnership factor

slips would be ok with border ponting hayden

J Langer
M Hayden
R Ponting
G Chappell
A Border
S Waugh
I Healy
S Warne
C McDermott
D Lillee
G McGrath

A Gilchrist

I think Healys 'keeping skills match Gilchrist batting over his career, and his batting matches Gilchrists 'keeping. I'm picking Healy as I rate the 'keeping skills more important that the batting skills for a 'keeper. Besides if it will be a very rare event if he is coming in at lest than 5/350!!!!

I tried to fit in my first boyhood hero, Rick Darling but couldn't quite find a spot for him

What about Graeme Wood

gd side tassie.

i accept mcdermott.

I hear your healy argument but dont know enough about the intricasies of keeping to comment albiet most experts take gilly as a whole package.

Other than that i believe langer/taylor/boon for opener is the only spot you can question.

This is tough, but I'll give it a go. The older players (pre-1990) I'm going on mainly what I've read or seen on highlights packages.

Hayden
I Chappell (c)
Ponting
G Chappell
S Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
Warne (vc)
Lillee
Alderman
McGrath

Geez, there's some leaders in that side! Found it hard to justify leaving out Ian Chappell for a Langer, Taylor or Slater. If he can average over 50 batting at first drop then I'd trust him going out there as opener.

Almost picks itself I reckon - I would take Tassie's side except I pick Gilchrist over Healy. No disrespect to Heals but I would take slightly less keeping skills for a no 7 that averages almost 50 in test cricket. Gilchrist's entry into the side in 1998-99 (with Brett Lee) took the Australian test side from very good to unbeatable over a long period. I rate a keeper who can bat as well as one of the top 6 batsman (must keep wickets to test standard too). Like Jeff Dugon before him, Gilly helped to anchor a cricket dynasty. With guys like Gilly and Dujon you can be 5-100 and still reach 400 (which Gilchrist helped Australia do a couple of times). Gilly also kept well to Warney over 7 years.
Just my personal opinion - Heals is a legend too. He'd be my 2nd XI 'keeper.

Aerie wrote:This is tough, but I'll give it a go. The older players (pre-1990) I'm going on mainly what I've read or seen on highlights packages.

Hayden
I Chappell (c)
Ponting
G Chappell
S Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
Warne (vc)
Lillee
Alderman
McGrath

Geez, there's some leaders in that side! Found it hard to justify leaving out Ian Chappell for a Langer, Taylor or Slater. If he can average over 50 batting at first drop then I'd trust him going out there as opener.

Once again only 3 spots to argue over.

I Chappell good and fair call however he didnt average 50. Id take his captaincy though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Chappell

- wrote:

Aerie wrote:This is tough, but I'll give it a go. The older players (pre-1990) I'm going on mainly what I've read or seen on highlights packages.

Hayden
I Chappell (c)
Ponting
G Chappell
S Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
Warne (vc)
Lillee
Alderman
McGrath

Geez, there's some leaders in that side! Found it hard to justify leaving out Ian Chappell for a Langer, Taylor or Slater. If he can average over 50 batting at first drop then I'd trust him going out there as opener.

Once again only 3 spots to argue over.

I Chappell good and fair call however he didnt average 50. Id take his captaincy though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Chappell

He averaged over 50 batting at first drop though. After 1971 he averaged 54 in that position.

Aerie wrote:

- wrote:

Aerie wrote:This is tough, but I'll give it a go. The older players (pre-1990) I'm going on mainly what I've read or seen on highlights packages.

Hayden
I Chappell (c)
Ponting
G Chappell
S Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
Warne (vc)
Lillee
Alderman
McGrath

Geez, there's some leaders in that side! Found it hard to justify leaving out Ian Chappell for a Langer, Taylor or Slater. If he can average over 50 batting at first drop then I'd trust him going out there as opener.

Once again only 3 spots to argue over.

I Chappell good and fair call however he didnt average 50. Id take his captaincy though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Chappell

He averaged over 50 batting at first drop though. After 1971 he averaged 54 in that position.

Certainly if I picked my best Australian team, Chappell would be captain, and batting 3. I woiuldn't have him opening though because his record as an opener wasn't good. It was strange because he walked in at 1/0 quite often and batted well, but if he opened he could appear to handle it all that well.

As a captain though, Chappell is the man.

My only comment on Ian Chappell is that the tradition in Australia sides has always been to pick the best XI and then pick a captain out of that best Xi. In other words, you can't be captain unless you justify your spot on ability first. It's the English who used to pick a guy just for his captaincy skills and then bat him at no 7 (remember Mike Brealey).
So, I think Chappelli is one of the many legends of Aust cricket who gets squeezed out unfortunately. Plus he wasn't a specialist opener anyway.

MightyEagles wrote:Would have been tough to leave Boon out.

Nup.Just ask Mrs.Boon.

hondo71 wrote:My only comment on Ian Chappell is that the tradition in Australia sides has always been to pick the best XI and then pick a captain out of that best Xi. In other words, you can't be captain unless you justify your spot on ability first. It's the English who used to pick a guy just for his captaincy skills and then bat him at no 7 (remember Mike Brealey).
So, I think Chappelli is one of the many legends of Aust cricket who gets squeezed out unfortunately. Plus he wasn't a specialist opener anyway.

I thought Mark Taylor was carried for a long time because he was captain of a winning team.

But I agree with you. The best XI should be picked and then the captain can be chosen. For the sake of picking the best Test XI I probably should have picked the best two opening batsman. Most probably Hayden and Taylor and leave out Ian Chappell.

It might help in deciding on the Aust XI places in contention if we pit the team against the best West Indies test XI of the same era:

Greenidge
Haynes
Richardson
Lara
Richards
Lloyd
Dujon
Marshall
Ambrose
Holding
Garner

What Aust XI would you be prepared to put your house on if it had to match up against that ... Might put Alderman's potential spot in jeapordy (altho I would question it anyway unless the side was playing England in England). The Windies tended to tonk Alderman around pretty easily.

Richardson averaged 44.3 slightly overated.

- wrote:Richardson averaged 44.3 slightly overated.

Didn't see a lot of Richardson i assume dasher.

hondo71 wrote:It might help in deciding on the Aust XI places in contention if we pit the team against the best West Indies test XI of the same era:

Greenidge
Haynes
Richardson
Lara
Richards
Lloyd
Dujon
Marshall
Ambrose
Holding
Garner

What Aust XI would you be prepared to put your house on if it had to match up against that ... Might put Alderman's potential spot in jeapordy (altho I would question it anyway unless the side was playing England in England). The Windies tended to tonk Alderman around pretty easily.

The fact that a guy the quality of Walsh misses out on that side is just incredible. It's just frightening to think how good the fast bowling stocks of the WI's once were. Throw in guys like Croft, Bishop etc. and what an awesome lineup.

rod_rooster wrote:

hondo71 wrote:It might help in deciding on the Aust XI places in contention if we pit the team against the best West Indies test XI of the same era:

Greenidge
Haynes
Richardson
Lara
Richards
Lloyd
Dujon
Marshall
Ambrose
Holding
Garner

What Aust XI would you be prepared to put your house on if it had to match up against that ... Might put Alderman's potential spot in jeapordy (altho I would question it anyway unless the side was playing England in England). The Windies tended to tonk Alderman around pretty easily.

The fact that a guy the quality of Walsh misses out on that side is just incredible. It's just frightening to think how good the fast bowling stocks of the WI's once were. Throw in guys like Croft, Bishop etc. and what an awesome lineup.

When a bloke who took over 500 test wickets is carrying the drinks I think you know what the quality of the side is. But looking at that bowling line up you just couldn't find room for him.(Walsh) Maybe drop Richardson and play 5 quicks. Imagine facing a bowling line containing 5 of the best 10 fast bowlers of all time.