[2025] PlanetCricket's All Time XIs - England - Botham vs Barnes

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Middle-Order: Graham Thorpe

3 Middle-order batters

Opposition when they dismiss Thorpe only to see Thorpe come again to bat.

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

I would argue that perhaps AR should be its own slot.

Something I considered but then do you go with 3 proper bowlers (#batdeep with no 8 being an all-rounder of keeper) or 4 proper bowlers (no 7 being the all-rounder/keeper). And would that work for teams like Pakistan? And what if people want two all-rounders in the XI like both Stokes and Botham or maybe a bowling all-rounder? Teams like West Indies where Sobers is great enough to be picked as a batter let alone the all-rounder of the side.

I think there is a better way to do this. I did like Viper's idea but don't want to tag people again and again for voting individual spots.

 

[ddrap14]

Something I considered but then do you go with 3 proper bowlers (#batdeep with no 8 being an all-rounder of keeper) or 4 proper bowlers (no 7 being the all-rounder/keeper). And would that work for teams like Pakistan? And what if people want two all-rounders in the XI like both Stokes and Botham or maybe a bowling all-rounder? Teams like West Indies where Sobers is great enough to be picked as a batter let alone the all-rounder of the side.

I think there is a better way to do this. I did like Viper's idea but don't want to tag people again and again for voting individual spots.

Yes, it would work for Pakistan, because Imran Khan exists.

Obviously Imran probably makes it on his own, but I feel like the Bothams/Millers/Proctors of the world could get shafted here

 

[Perfect Square]

Opposition when they dismiss Thorpe only to see Thorpe come again to bat.

Edited

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

The way we did it in discord was that we'll first nominate WK (the most votes gets in), then we nominate openers (the 2 with most votes get in), then middle-order players (3 most votes get in), then we have a vote to decide the bowling combo (how many pace, how many spin), then we nominate pacers and spinners individually and based on elected combination, the most voted pacers and spinners get in. Then after we vote 10 players this way, based on team balance we vote for the final player who could be a Bat/AR/Bowler based on needs (Bowlers could be voted here if all-rounders made it through the pacer/spinner vote).

But the key difference is there were nominations done first where all possible names were given, and then a final poll for voting

I think I am liking this approach more. Will try this with the next team and after every team is done, maybe we might revisit England.

---

Here's how things stand at the moment.

 

[Viper.]

Looking at this Botham might miss out entirely, which is bad, and which is kinda the demerit of doing so many votes at once. Doing middle-order first then pacers thus helps us have context of who is selected so far to make the remaining picks.

 

[DuneTiger]

1. Jack Hobbs
2. Stuart Broad
3. Jim Laker
4. Ian Botham
5. KP, Ken Barrington, Wally Hammond

 

[Welwyn]

Opener 2: Jack Hobbs
Fast Bowler 2: Syd Barnes
Spinner: Derek Underwood
Fourth Bowler (All-rounder): Ian Botham
Middle-Order: Mike Brearley (C) (3), Ken Barrington (5), Wally Hammond (6),

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

All-Time Test XI
01. Jack Hobbs
02. Alastair Cook
03. Wally Hammond - right-arm medium fast
04. Ken Barrington
05. Joe Root - right-arm off break
06. Kevin Pietersen
07. Les Ames
08. Ian Botham / Sydney Barnes
09. Fred Trueman
10. Derek Underwood
11. James Anderson

opener 1: Alastair Cook (7), Jack Hobbs (6), Herbert Sutcliffe (1), Marcus Trescothick (1)

middle-order batter 1: Joe Root (13), Kevin Pietersen (1), Jonathan Trott (1)

fast bowler 1: James Anderson (10), Bob Willis (2), Fred Trueman (1), Sydney Barnes (1)

keeper: Les Ames (5), Alan Knott (4), Matt Prior (3), Alec Stewart (1), Jack Russell (1), Jonny Bairstow (1)

opener 2: Jack Hobbs (9), Len Hutton (2), Andrew Strauss (2), Geoffrey Boycott (1), Marcus Trescothick (1)

fast bowler 2: Fred Trueman (8), Stuart Broad (3), Sydney Barnes (3), Bob Willis (1)

spinner: Derek Underwood (6), Jim Laker (5), Hedley Verity (2), Graeme Swann (1), Wilfred Rhodes (1)

fourth bowler: Sydney Barnes (5), Ian Botham (5), Ben Stokes (3), Bob Willis (1), Stuart Broad (1)

3 middle-order batters: Wally Hammond (12), Kevin Pietersen (9), Ken Barrington (9), Ian Botham (5), Ted Dexter (3), Ian Bell (2), Ben Stokes (1), Colin Cowdrey (1), Denis Compton (1), Graham Thorpe (1), Mike Brearley (1)

yeah this team too lopsided to be honest. once the botham vs barnes vote ends, people please tell which player(s) you want to remove from this XI. and give 2 nominations (not votes) for the replacement. don't repeat already done nominations and don't just name players for the sake of it. need at least 4 users asking to replace a particular player. try to explain your thought process so others can also agree and would make this less chaotic and make the polls go smoother. ignore if you are fine with the side.

 

[ddrap14]

I would argue that perhaps AR should be its own slot.

Now, I'm not going to say I told you so, but I am going to say that the results speak for themselves

 

[Supreme General]

Really KP?

 

[Ed Smith]

Really KP?

People forget how good he was because he was such an arse

 

[Perfect Square]

I think at the end of the day. Because it's a democracy. The majority vote should be respected. Even if it means not selecting the best XI

 

[ddrap14]

I think at the end of the day. Because it's a democracy. The majority vote should be respected. Even if it means not selecting the best XI

Usually I'd agree, but I feel like this time around there was a flaw in the methodology (voting on FOUR middle order bats instead of three and an all-rounder), so I'd be open to redoing a vote between Barrington, KP and Botham (if Botham loses the tiebreak with Barnes)

 

[Till Valhalla]

Another assignment!!!