I noticed we didn't have a thread on this. Couldn't find one anyways.
It's been nearly 40 years of ODI cricket, so what do you think is the best ODI XI of all time?
Try, as much as possible, to only include players on the basis of their ODI records. That means they have to have played ODIs. Although if you strongly feel Don Bradman or Gary Sobers deserve to be in the ODI All-Time XI, then feel free to pick them.
As for my playing XI...after much deliberation I've come up with the following lineup:
Sachin Tendulkar
Adam Gilchrist (+)
Ricky Ponting
Viv Richards
Andrew Symonds
Michael Bevan
Lance Klusener
Imran Khan (+)
Shaun Pollock
Wasim Akram
Muttiah Muralitharan
Positives:
+ Insane batting depth
+ 3 quality seamers in Wasim, Pollock and Imran. Imran and Wasim are excellent death bowlers too. All three have the ability to succeed in subcontinental conditions as well as when the ball is swinging and seaming.
+ Symonds, Klusener, Sachin, Viv make up excellent fill-in bowling options for the fifth bowler quota.
+ Lots of hitting ability. This XI should be able to maintain high scoring rates throughout the innings,. Pollock, Wasim, Symonds, Klusener are all good pinch-hitters as well if we need one.
+ Plenty of finishing ability in Symonds, Bevan, Klusener, Imran.
+ Good fielding side - Viv, Symonds, Klusener, Ponting. Really no weak links in the field with this side.
Possible negatives:
- Possibly not enough spin bowling, only Murali with Symonds/Viv/Sachin/Bevan for support.
- No real stabilising batsmen, Ponting and Sachin will play the anchor roles. Although with this sort of batting depth, you might not need anchors. Imran does a decent job of it though, as does Bevan, so they can be promoted if needed.
Discuss and post up your own XIs.
It's been nearly 40 years of ODI cricket, so what do you think is the best ODI XI of all time?
Try, as much as possible, to only include players on the basis of their ODI records. That means they have to have played ODIs. Although if you strongly feel Don Bradman or Gary Sobers deserve to be in the ODI All-Time XI, then feel free to pick them.
As for my playing XI...after much deliberation I've come up with the following lineup:
Sachin Tendulkar
Adam Gilchrist (+)
Ricky Ponting
Viv Richards
Andrew Symonds
Michael Bevan
Lance Klusener
Imran Khan (+)
Shaun Pollock
Wasim Akram
Muttiah Muralitharan
Positives:
+ Insane batting depth
+ 3 quality seamers in Wasim, Pollock and Imran. Imran and Wasim are excellent death bowlers too. All three have the ability to succeed in subcontinental conditions as well as when the ball is swinging and seaming.
+ Symonds, Klusener, Sachin, Viv make up excellent fill-in bowling options for the fifth bowler quota.
+ Lots of hitting ability. This XI should be able to maintain high scoring rates throughout the innings,. Pollock, Wasim, Symonds, Klusener are all good pinch-hitters as well if we need one.
+ Plenty of finishing ability in Symonds, Bevan, Klusener, Imran.
+ Good fielding side - Viv, Symonds, Klusener, Ponting. Really no weak links in the field with this side.
Possible negatives:
- Possibly not enough spin bowling, only Murali with Symonds/Viv/Sachin/Bevan for support.
- No real stabilising batsmen, Ponting and Sachin will play the anchor roles. Although with this sort of batting depth, you might not need anchors. Imran does a decent job of it though, as does Bevan, so they can be promoted if needed.
Discuss and post up your own XIs.
