Themer
Chairman of Selectors
Also Boycott > Gooch.
Also Boycott > Gooch.
I never said Hobbs was not good enough in general. I specifically said he isn't good enough to be the 1st XI/best ever Ashes XI. Clear difference.
When picking these XIs as i always say. People need to decide if they are picking wall of fame XIs or XIs for serious hypotetical match-ups. If its a wall of fame XI, then Barnes, Trumper, Hobbs would always be picked given the impact they had on the game.
But if we are considering a serious hypotetical match-ups, then picking such players becomes a serious problem. Reasons being because all pre-war batsmen for me except of Bradman, Hammond, Headley (McCabe to a level) are questionable. Given that they played in a era of where quality fast-bowling/90 mph bowling was non existant & pitches where flat. Compared to post war batsmen (1945-1999 mainly) who had to deal with those type of bowling & less flat pitches in general.
Just curious mate, why does Hammond get a pass, but not Hobbs? Who did Hammond face that Hobbs didn't? I'm not a massive historian, but AFAIK the attacks in the 30s weren't particularly fearsome or fast. Even England only pulled out Larwood for a couple of series. I thought Jack Gregory, Ted McDonald and Tibby Cotter would have been more testing than what Hammond faced in the 30s. Although Hammond got to face Bill O'Reilly I guess.