JamesyJames3 said:
I remember him getting Ponting dragged on in one of the tests <-----Thats lucky!
Then the world famous dubious LBW decision, but we cant live without them so ill let him off. Also we would have nothing to talk about without them!
More importantly, he was injured for most of the tour. And why was he injured? He wouldn't listen to Imran Khan and shorten his ridiculous run up (because Australian grounds can be tougher to run on), so eventually he tore his hamstring. I'd be more likely to say that he's a bad choice because of this.
Guys, you've got to remember that a lot of these guys have been picked because of who we want to see and also in fairness to the different cricketing nations of the world.
We want to see Tendulkar and Lara, they will be in any side regardless of form. Jacques Kallis is currently the best batsman in the world.
Shoaib Akhtar gets the nod because he's the fastest and creates exciting cricket. Steve Harmison makes an excellent partner for him and the only other option that could be concieved is Shane Bond, who has not played enough cricket of late to prove himself.
Afridi, Pietersen and Sehwag are all tremendous in full flight. Any one of them can put more pressure on a bowling attack than Dravid. In such a team, Dravid's dapper innings-binding style shouldn't be missed.
You can't legitimately pick Murali and Harbhajan in the same team, where is the variety? Murali is the one you're going to pick, every time.
Against Anil Kumble, Danny Vettori has a marginally better record in Australia in both forms of the game. Also he is probably the best representative for NZ and many New Zealanders are expected to attend the games.
http://stats.cricinfo.com/guru?sdb=...1;.cgifields=cplayerid;.cgifields=comparetype
http://stats.cricinfo.com/guru?sdb=...1;.cgifields=cplayerid;.cgifields=comparetype
Herschelle Gibbs is the one I'd probably drop in favour of Inzamam, but Gibbs has shown slightly better form in this calendar year and is a far more useful fielder than the potato-like Inzi. In fact I'd wager fielding and all-round value was far more important in selecting the ODI team.
Graeme Smith is a fantastic opening batsman and has been a successful captain. The opener's roles are the hardest to fill, as there are only two to pick from each team. In Smith you have a leader in every way except experience.
So many of the players selected bring more to the game than statistics (could you imagine Tendulkar and Lara batting to outdo each other?). At the same time there were some players that were very unlucky.
The bottom line is simple. Do you feel well represented by your country's selected players? Do you believe these teams will be exciting and interesting to watch?
He Deserved To Be In The World XI Atleast In One Squad Or Both Of Them He Stands A Chance There Ahead Of Gibbs,Sehwag And Peiterson....Shocking Selection
