International Selections in the game

[CG123]

Shame about those batting averages. Are they trending down towards the heat death of the universe? Or might they go back up at some stage?

I'm not really sure, because this save is the furthest I've ever gotten in ICC 2005. I'm 99% sure though that they won't go back up.

 

[6ry4nj]

South Africa (Tests)

Smith, Amla, Duminy, de Villiers and Steyn are agreed over the three teams. Amla and de Villiers are notably better in real life than in the game ? this is comprehensively reversed in the case of Duminy. Rudolph is still a Kolpak of course ? still at Yorkshire in fact. Boucher hasn?t played for the Proteas in any form for two years ? although he played every game in every form during 2009-10. (Just a quick explanation, the game has a year that starts in April with the English domestic season. So when I say ?2009-10?, I?m talking ? unless otherwise specified - about the full year April to March, not the southern hemisphere season 2009-10 ie. October to March alone). Petersen is never likely to be Test-quality in-game.

Bowlers now, and de Lange does not exist in-game. Morne Morkel?s Test career looks to be over, although he has had three matches in the year just completed. Philander has never played Tests (he has played ODIs and T20s although not for two years) and nor is he likely to.

The game really loves Ashwell Prince. Then again, he was equally good in real life if the numbers are to be believed. I can only think that Wiese is picked for his bowling, which makes it odd that he?s at number six. Vilas is the next keeper that one might pick if Kuhn was not available. Pienaar averages 23.59 bowling in first-class, and at 26 has only played 5 Tests, so he may yet come good. Zondeki has the fifth-best record in Tests, and Govender is 4 behind him. Govender also is only 11 Tests into his career. That doesn?t quite explain why they were picked over Coetzee, Gerber, Tsotsobe and others, but it does go some way towards it.

Finally my debutants. Fourie is a 29-year-old who has 2707 FC runs since his 2007 debut. Masekela is a 24-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler who has 166 wickets since debuting in 2006.

 

[CG123]

Where's Kallis, in both real life and in the game?

 

[6ry4nj]

Where's Kallis, in both real life and in the game?

In the game he's retired. Must've been at the end of the 2010-11 season (I'm assuming the game processes retirements in all nations at the end of the domestic season). This game seems to always pick the exact wrong players to retire prematurely.

In real life I don't know. He must've been injured or rested, because with his 56.78 batting average he ought to be the first batsman picked. Okay, checked and he played the previous Test, so rested most likely. I've just taken the latest lineup in each case - it's been enough work without further research to figure out whether that's typical or not. The same happened with the ODIs - he played the second but not the third (with his opening batsman spot taken by Parnell).

EDIT: Before he retired, he was in the team, although he wasn't as far ahead of the batting pack as irl.

 

[6ry4nj]

ODIs (South Africa)

Amla and Duminy are agreed over all three selections. The real-life team suffers from having far too many bowlers, and only three of those who are any good. Parnell obviously isn?t an opening bat. In the game he?s a decent domestic bowler with one ill-advised foray in the ODI arena back in 2009 (before the start of the save ? and his 2 mediocre T20I performances were back then as well). Albie is better at both batting and bowling in the game than in reality. The game has picked him for 21 ODIs over the three years. However, in addition to my top 4, McKenzie, de Villiers, David Wiese and Morne van Wyk are ahead of him on paper (he is more likely to be picked for his batting ability). Du Plessis remains a Kolpak at Lancs. De Villiers is a very sensible pick in real life, but his batting is not up to that standard in the game, so he?s on the periphery. The game doesn?t regard him as a credible choice as keeper either, which is why the AI has picked Vilas as well.

Botha bowls much better in the game, and so is a genuine contender ? God only might know why he?s picked in real life. De Lange is not in the database. Peterson is useless in the game ? the AI has never picked him, and frankly why did anyone? Steyn is also not up to scratch for this form in-game (even though the AI evidently thinks he is). Tsotsobe has a substandard ODI record as well, but after only 13 games at this level, that is perhaps excusable.

Smith is an uncontroversial pick in the game. Amla, Duminy and de Villiers have been covered. Prince is significantly worse than in real life, and doesn?t really merit his selection. Wiese just scrapes into the side as sixth batsman because he bowls a bit (dumb idea if you ask me). Esmund van Wyk is a bowling all-rounder who has the sixth best career ODI bowling record ? and the best of those bowlers selected by the computer. My four bowlers and Jandre Coetzee are ahead of him. Pienaar is two spots further back ? after real-world selection Botha. Wiese is two back again, with Zondeki just ahead of him. Then comes Albie, and then Steyn (12th best!). Gerber is still five spots further back ? among the also-rans ? although he has only 10 ODIs worth of experience, and is only 23. (The four ahead of him: Tsotsobe, Govender, my - ie Essex's - 2011 overseas Paul Harris, and Philander!).

Hennie de Wet is a 22-year-old medium-fast bowler. He debuted in ODIs in 2010, and has played 12 to date. He also made his only Test appearance in 2011-12, and two T20I appearances ? one in each of the last two years. Rusty Theron has played 9 matches for his chart-topping average, having only debuted last year. He has not represented his country in any other form.

By the way, the game regards Zondeki, Govender, Tsotsobe and Coetzee as fast bowlers. I?m not sure about the first two, but I know Tsotsobe is not express, and Coetzee is listed on cricinfo as a medium-pacer.

Brett Pelser is the best of domestic batsman. He is 26 and has not been picked before ? in any form. Kruger van Wyk has not defected to the Kiwis, and is in fact the best of domestic keeper. The best domestic bowler, Andrew Birch, is also 26. He actually has 6 ODIs already under his belt (having debuted last year), and has not impressed to date ? but he makes my team anyway.

 

[6ry4nj]

T20Is (South Africa)

Note that only five of the real-life players have played this form internationally in the game. The real-life and game?s teams have only Tsotsobe and Vilas in common, and the only real-life player in my team is Albie Morkel. Behardien is absolute rubbish in the game, as you can see. Ontong is rubbish in both. Albie Morkel is the sixth best batsman in the game, so he scrapes into the first team on batting (because Wiese is also a top 5 bowler). Kallis, as we have said, is retired. Levi is never likely to be picked in-game, on his current record. Botha is an adequate bowling all-rounder in-game ? in the top 10 batting and bowling in fact. Vilas is a much better bat in real life. The game picks him also, but for no valid reason that I can see (much as I enjoy it when the ?great minds? of the game and the selectors think alike on such left-field picks).

Tsotsobe is a not unreasonable pick in-game. Parnell and Theron have good domestic averages in the game, but there are twelve domestics with averages in single digits, so the 10s and 15s of this world are nowhere near breaking into the team.

Smith and Amla are great in the game, so they?re automatic picks. For some reason the real-life Amla can?t seem to adapt to this form, even in domestic. This despite his 56 average and 90+ strike rate in ODIs. Duminy is good enough for the team in reality, but not in the game. De Villiers and Prince are likewise mistakes. David Wiese makes the team for both batting and bowling. The reincarnation of Kallis in-game, you might say. Esmund van Wyk is a very interesting pick by the AI ? note that he has never played a T20 irl. Vilas has been covered. And Pienaar, Wagner and Tsotsobe are selections that make no sense.

I haven?t debuted a batsman or bowler. The batsman I would have picked was a regen. I failed to pick Ugasen Govender due to an oversight. He has 44 wickets in 39 overs (at an average of 7) in domestic! I make that a strike rate of 5.32? I have picked van Biljon as the best domestic keeper (batting-wise). Boucher and Kuhn are the best two in international, or you could go with de Villiers, an ?occasional keeper? in the game.

I do think the in-game international bowling averages are far too low. And this is true for all countries. It?s also interesting to see that Hennie de Wet (age 22, FC debut 2007), who in-game has played 26 domestic T20s over three years and even two T20Is, in real life is yet to debut in the form.

 

[6ry4nj]

Sri Lanka (Tests)

If they really have to pick multiple keepers, that real-life batting lineup mostly makes sense. The computer also picks Sangakkara, Mahela, Mathews and Samaraweera. Thirimanne is nowhere near Tests in the game, and a little out of his depth in real life too. Kaushal Silva?s average in the game is half a run better than P Jayawardene, although I?m sceptical about the need for two keepers (plus Dilshan in real life who is rated as a specialist keeper in this game) in either team.

It?s hardly surprising that there?s no agreement over bowlers. Three in the real-life team have averages over 40 ? two of those over 50 ? and Lakmal even has a fail average in domestic. In the game, Saman (right-arm fast-medium) and Indrasiri (left-arm spinner) are yet to find their feet in Tests (after only 3 games each), but at least they both have top domestic averages (21.96 and 20.18 respectively). Notice that Thisara (or as this game would have it, Tissara) Perera, despite being rated as a specialist bowler, is in the AI?s Test team for his batting! (The game also calls Randiv ?Mohamed Suraj?, and Dhammika Prasad is called Dammika Kariyawasam). The game has been using Prasad by the way ? in fact, you can see that he?s a decent Test bowler in-game.

To my picks now. Vandort hasn?t played internationally since the save started, and his Test debut was 2001. Malinda Warnapura (32, off-spin batting all-rounder) has been picked for 10 of the 14 Tests in the last 3 years. Chamara Silva has only played limited-overs forms internationally since the beginning of the save (same as in real life). The best domestic bat is the regen Karnain, and Sangakkara is the best batting keeper in domestic as well. The best domestic bowler (after Mendis) is Sameera Vithana. Senanayake (who?s in the real-life ODI team) is next.

I didn?t bother with Vithana in my team, since Welegedara, de Silva and Hettiarachchi have only 5 Tests? worth of experience between them. Welegedera is a 31-year-old left-arm fast-medium. His one Test (in-game) was back in 2007. De Silva is a 34-year-old left-arm medium-fast bowler ? his Test debut ? first of his three games - was in 2002. Hettiarachchi is another slow left-armer, a 35-year-old whose only Test was in 2000. They don?t have much time to ruin their Test averages before retirement, so I thought they?d better get a wiggle on. In real life, of course, Welegedara has 17 more Tests to his name (and he has ruined his average).

 

[6ry4nj]

ODIs (Sri Lanka)

Where are Chandimal, Mathews, Shaminda Eranga, Thisara Perera, and Mendis, in that real-life lineup? I have no idea! Conversely, what are Kapugedera, Thirimanne, Kulasekara, Senanayake and Lakmal doing there? Same answer! These are the five differences between THAT lineup and Sri Lanka?s best right now. Some may question the credentials of Maharoof or Tharanga, but for me their stats speak for themselves. And I can understand the argument for Thirimanne and Senanayake, but Kulasekara - and more obviously Kapugedera and Lakmal - just don?t belong here.

To the computer?s team, then, and again it has picked a specialist keeper in addition to Sangakkara ? and one with a most inferior record with the bat. Kaushal Silva has only the fourth best batting record among keepers in both ODIs and List A, behind both Sangakkara and Dilshan. Thisara Perera again makes the team for his batting, but his average flatters him. With 5 not outs in nine innings, it is higher than his highest score! Then full marks to the game for seeing the potential in Vithana, but why overlook Malinga and Maharoof, who have averages of 25? Thushara is also overlooked, as is Lokuarachchi.

To my team now, and as ever I have gone for pure performance above all else. So what if Vandort made that score in his one ODI seven years ago? Why did you ever drop him after that? Time to make amends! Lanka de Silva?s ODIs were all (all eleven of them) in 1997! I don?t care! Pushpakumara has only 2 innings in 3 matches at international level so far, having been debuted by the game in 2010. Dinusha Fernando played his 1 ODI in 2003. Jayaprakashdaran?s was in 2005 ? a solitary match also. Fiddle-de-dee and ca ne fait rien to all that!

With so many novices being retried, perhaps it was/would be unwise to blood two additional youngsters. But half the fun of doing this is to memorialize those who are knocking on the door in-game. So, in batting, a shout-out to two runners-up behind Rupasinghe, namely Nuwan Dharshana and Leven Moshin. In bowling, honourable mentions go to two slow left-armers, Marlan Madusanka and the other A Mendis, Amila.

Finally I would like to note how much Pushpakumara and Hewage?s List A stats irl are better than Lakmal?s! Pushpakumara even tops Senanayake!

 

[6ry4nj]

T20s (Sri Lanka)

Who would you pick for a Sri Lankan T20I eleven? Dilshan, Mahela, Sangakkara, Mathews, Mendis, Malinga and Dilhara Fernando are obvious, but then who? I would have Lakmal or Randiv as fifth bowler, as they have not spoiled their records in this format yet. For batsmen, it would be out of Chandimal, Kapugedera, Jeevan Mendis and Jehan Mubarak. So apart from Chamara Silva and Tharanga, and the extra bowler, that real-life team is quite acceptable.

In the game, the last T20I Sri Lanka played was in the 2009/10 season. Jayasuriya and Murali were shoo-ins to the team then ? but of course they have since retired. Chamara Silva is better in the game ? perhaps just good enough for the team. Dilshan is terrible in this save, yet the game picks him. Mathews too has been rubbish in his six innings so far, and his place really cannot be justified (he has never bowled!). In bowling, except for the absence of Dilhara Fernando (22.47 average at 7.33), they are safe choices.

In my team, blasts from the past come together to relive their 15 minutes of fame. Weeraratne played all four of his T20Is in 2008/09, before the start of the game. Indika de Saram was included by mistake, based on an average that is nearly double his highest score (should have picked Udawatte). He had one game in ?09 before the start of the game, and the game picked him for three more. Mubarak got his nine games between 2007 and Feb 2009. In real life he then played in the 2009 World Twenty20, but not in-game. Dilhara Lokuhettige had two games in a tournament in 2008 (against Zimbabwe and Canada). Finally, Malinga Bandara had his two games in ?06 and ?09 before the save. His real-life two games in ?09 are not replicated in-game.

Waiting in the wings batting-wise are Karnain and another regen, as well as Samaraweera. For bowling there is a Charith Jayaweera and a Niroshan Bandaratilleke, now 36, who played 7 Tests and 3 ODIs back in the late 90s.

 

[6ry4nj]

West Indies

Less said about that real-life team, the better. Do they really need to blood so many youngsters at once? And the Fidel Edwards experiment is failed and over. Whereas the Shannon Gabriel experiment ? even if it is ultimately headed for the same conclusion - has been a success so far.

Devon Smith is the second best Test opener by average, but his average after 39 Tests is nowhere near good enough to persist with. Probably the best idea would be to debut Steve Jacobs, who is the top opener in first-class. Don?t know why the game won?t pick Nash ? with his 401 runs from 9 Test innings to date. Similarly Sarwan, although he has at least played 16 of the 27 Tests in the last three years (Nash hasn?t been AI-picked once). After them, Bravo, Ryan Hinds and Deonarine are the next best three. However, spare a thought for poor old Wavell Hinds, who in the game is a domestic player in England without West Indian nationality. Otherwise, with his Test average of 33.01, and such weak competition, he might have reason to hope for a Test recall.

To bowling, then, and the AI has picked three of the four bowlers with adequate records. Why are there so many spinners among the West Indies? top bowlers (perhaps I should explain that Sebastien, Jaggernauth and Wallace are all spinners)? Sammy is only the seventh best bowler in Tests, after Pollard and Taylor. Bravo comes two further back after Rampaul. If I had to pick two pacemen, I would probably debut 22-year-old regen Redwood, who tops the domestic ranks with an average under 20.

Note that I have picked Darren Bravo to make his debut. He has the third-best domestic career average after Barath and Chanderpaul. Behind him come Steve Liburd and the aforementioned Jacobs. Apart from Redwood, the domestic bowling stocks are topped by Wallace, followed by medium-pacer Kenroy Peters and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller. (And if you think that?s a lot of spinners, wait till I tell you about List A!)

 

[CG123]

Sorry I kind of gave up on this.

In saying that I haven't actually played any ICC for like a month. It's just one of those games where every few months I'll go back and get addicted to it for a few weeks to a month at a time.

 

[6ry4nj]

Sorry I kind of gave up on this.

In saying that I haven't actually played any ICC for like a month. It's just one of those games where every few months I'll go back and get addicted to it for a few weeks to a month at a time.

Who has time to play it? I'm far too busy writing this! It's getting to be a bit of a chore, but I'm persevering for now out of fairness to the remaining countries.

 

[6ry4nj]

ODIs (West Indies)

Barath, Narine, Roach and Russell make sense ? four selections out of eleven! I realize that Chanderpaul and Sarwan have to retire sooner or later, but they are literally irreplaceable! Sammy is not much more than a bad joke in this format, as his comparison with Russell clearly illustrates. Johnson Charles? international average is higher than his equivalent List A stat ? his selection is completely nonsensical. He has played only 17 List A games (including the 5 ODIs) since his 2008 debut! Ramdin is a better bet than Baugh at keeper, and the records so far of Bishoo and Anthony Martin argue strongly for at least a second spinner.

The AI seems unnecessarily desperate in selecting Devon Smith. The team don?t suffer the same shortage of openers in-game as they do in real life. There are five better options, the best of whom are Browne and Runako Morton. Deonarine as a fifth bowler who almost makes the team on batting alone, is not such a bad choice. The computer has made some stunning spin-bowling finds in this format. Sebastien and Jaggernauth were both ?discovered? by the AI, having not played an ODI prior to the save. And they have the second and fourth-best career averages in the format respectively. (Another AI-discovered spinner, Gavin Wallace, tops the rankings). Sammy is a way better bowler in-game than irl, and is the best-performed paceman with more than 10 games? experience.

It should probably be noted that Jaggernauth has a total of 4 List A games to his credit in real life, comprising 30 overs of economical bowling for just one solitary wicket. Evidently his domestic outfit (T&T) consider him a four-day specialist.

If I had not debuted Liburd, Morton would have made the team. My tail is admittedly quite long. Sebastien is considered an all-rounder in the game, and has a List A average of 20, although his ODI average after 19 innings is barely half that. In List A, the top bats are Chanderpaul and Barath, then Liburd, then a certain Garvin Roberts, then Pollard, Gayle and Sarwan. In List A bowling, ten of the top 12 are spinners! Wallace comes top, then fast bowler McClean, then Odean Brown, Ryan Austin and Anthony Martin. The other non-spinner, medium-fast regen Redwood, comes next.

 

[6ry4nj]

T20s (West Indies)

That real-life batting lineup is far too experimental. Instead of two of Smith, Pollard and Hyatt, I would have had Darren Bravo and Simmons (Simmons can also keep). And surely Bishoo the specialist bowler ahead of Edwards. The clearly correct selections are Charles, Bravo and Samuels (but not as bowlers), Sammy and Mathurin. Notice how Pollard and Baugh overperform in the game (although the AI still doesn?t pick them). At the other extreme, the game seems never likely to ?discover? Charles, Hyatt or indeed Narine or Mathurin, nor to ever give Edwards another chance.

To the game?s selections now. It suffers from an excess of batting experiments of its own. Morton, Barath and Bravo are nowhere near justifying their selections. Similarly Ramdin, while Baugh is going so well. Among the bowlers, Jaggernauth has an adequate record, but Taylor?s is much better, and the AI has no shortage of spin in their lineup.

Ryan Hinds is the first batsman picked in-game, yet he has never represented the West Indies in this format for real, and in fact hasn?t played for them at all for nearly three years (okay that?s technically due to suspension at present but still). Barath will irl probably be picked again. Chanderpaul?s real-life record, while not good, is better than any of the myriad ?experiments? being carried on. Dwayne Bravo bats and bowls better in reality ? thus justifying his selection as a batsman. Ramdin is probably the best keeper in real life

So to my lineup, and look at the batting strength that is available, if one so chooses. Wallace has 50 wickets in 29 matches of domestic T20 in the game, yet in real life he has never played the format. I?m surprised to find that Liam Sebastien has never represented West Indies in any format in real life. It wouldn?t really be a debut for Wallace ? the game has picked him for one match already, where he took 1 for 33 off 4. Lining up behind Wallace to debut are McClean, Andrew Richardson (right-arm fast-medium) and slow-left-armer Dave Mohammed. In the batting stakes behind Hinds and Deonarine we have Chanderpaul, then Darren Bravo, Pollard and (24-year-old keeper) Andre Fletcher.

 

[Aalay]

I think you should try Kruger Van Wyk in tests. He has been very effective for me in the longer formats. He almost averages around 65 and has just won me a test match against England which I was losing badly.

G.Smith has also been brilliant for me. He averages 54 and have played over 110 test matches for me. He has been no 1 in the test rankings for last 3 years in the game.