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Tuesday 7 February 2012

The XI of the Decade

Friday, 20th November 2009

It's that time of year and that time of the decade. So, what's the best XI of the last ten years? In some ways it is a disappointingly easy selection. But here it is anyway:

1. G Smith
2. V Sehwag
3. R Ponting
4. S Tendulkar
5. B Lara
6. A Gilchrist* (Wkt)
7. S Pollock
8. S Warne (Capt)
9. J Gillespie
10. M Muralitharan
11. G McGrath

Criteria: Anyone who retired before 2006 is ineligible. Lara, Tendulkar and Warne etc could also, of course, be in a team of the 1990s.

As you can see - and as you know - there's been a severe shortage of top-class, truly-fast bowling in recent years. You could make a case for Shoaib Aktar or perhaps Dale Steyn to play instead of Gillespie. Choosing a third seamer is the only difficult selection. You could play Kallis, but the top six selected should get you enough runs and so you'd want a more threatening bowler as your fifth man.

Then again, you could make a different choice. Consider Simon Wilde, cricket correspondent of the Sunday Times, and his selection:

1. V Sehwag  
2. M Hayden  
3. R Ponting  
4. S Tendulkar
5. K Pietersen  
6. J Kallis  
7. A Gilchrist  
8. A Flintoff
9. S Warne  
10. M Muralitharan  
11. G McGrath

Obviously I don't know what Mr Wilde's criteria were but I think my team beats his. Apart from anything else he only has one truly great fast-bowler. I think my team has enough batting to save matches; I wonder if his has enough top-class bowling to win them. Kallis as first change = QED.

And even if you exclude, for whatever baffling reason, Brian Lara from your team, why would you select Pietersen ahead of Rahul Dravid?

I'll accept that there is a case for picking Hayden rather than Smith but I'd ask you which of them you'd rather see bat for your life? I'll take Smith and fancy my chances if you've picked Hayden. Doubly so if the wicket or the attack isn't susceptible to flat-track bullydom...

But, readers, what do you think? Email me - use the helpful "Email Alex" button at the top of the page - or leave your verdict in the comments...

*Typo corrected. Doh! Also, I've selected Shane Warne as captain. Because a) I can and b) he should have skippered Australia.

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Chris

November 20th, 2009 11:43pm Report this comment

Wow. It's been a good decade to be a batsman.

dearieme

November 21st, 2009 9:31am Report this comment

"Gilchrest"?

More substantially, is Gillespie really the second best quick? No wonder so many batsmen have looked good.

Tiberius

November 21st, 2009 12:18pm Report this comment

I too would query Gillespie. And I wouldn't put Pietersen ahead of Lara either.

In practice, how may times nowadays would a Test team play two spinners? As Warne is the better all-rounder, you could have Kallis ahead of Murali.

Hayden would lose out to Smith because he signally failed to deal with Matthew Hoggard and co. in 2005.

I have to put Flintoff ahead of Pollock, Alex, just because!

Smith
Sehwag
Ponting
Tendulkar
Lara
Kallis
Gilchrist
Flintoff
Warne
Shoaib
McGrath

Martyn Rowe

November 21st, 2009 1:27pm Report this comment

I agree more with your team than Wilde's..

I would go for Hayden over Sehwag though. He's a better team player, a better player of swing bowling; he has a better temperament and his slip fielding would complement Warne's bowling.

In defence of Gillespie - at his best he was a terrific bowler. Pace, bounce, good variations, clever. He was just unfortunate to lose his 'nip' at such a young age.

Also, as much as I love Tendulkar (and I would pick him - to watch him and Ponting battin together would be something special), I don't think he's had a great noughties. His elbow problems marred his career, although he's playing well again now.

Honourable mentions to Jayawardene, Yousuf, Vaughan, Kallis and Sangakkara. All have had superb spells of brilliance at the crease.

And yes, it has definitely been a batsman's age. The pitches and technology are mostly to blame for that.

Incidentally, I still think, depsite his lack of mental toughness and spates of apparent apathy, that Damien Martyn was the most glorious player to watch when at his best. He made batting look ridiculously easy. He, circa 2003, 2004 and early 2005 was almost peerless. The best back foot cover-driver I've ever seen.

Martyn Rowe

November 21st, 2009 1:55pm Report this comment

Oh! And an honourable mention to Chanderpaul too...

stuart

November 21st, 2009 2:30pm Report this comment

I'm surprised by your take on smith v hayden. I'd go for hayden because he just seems more formidable to me, but then I'm south african and have never liked smith...

Kallis may not end up bowling much on any best of team, but his batting is almost enough on it's own to get him on the side. I think he should be in the team.

Fergus Pickering

November 21st, 2009 5:43pm Report this comment

Before he became captain of England Vaughan was a better bat than Smith will ever be. Come to that, for about a year and a half Harmison was a better bowler thA
an Giollespie, and a bloody sight faster. And, if Hasrmison is ruled out necause he was crap subsequent to his brief incandescence, what about Brett Lee. You MUST have a really fast bowler and Gillespie was never that. And there is no comparison between Hayden and Sehwag. Sehwag and Vaughan opening the innings. Who wouldn't pay to see that? Sehwag is one of the great batsmen. Hayden isn't.

terence patrick hewett

November 22nd, 2009 12:06pm Report this comment

What about W G Grace? What about K. S. Ranjitsinhji? What about C B Fry? You're all a bunch of WIMPS.

Fergus Pickering

November 22nd, 2009 12:50pm Report this comment

Oh well, if you're talking about THAT sort of side, here's an Edwardian one to beat anything we can put up. No W.G. because he has retired from Test cricket.

Victor Trumper
Jack Hobbs
K. S. Ranjitsinjhi
F.S. Jackson
Clem Hill
Warwick Armstrong (capt)
Aubrey Faulkner
George Hirst
Wilfred Rhodes
Sidney Barnes
I'm not sure about the wicket keeper - McGregor perhaps

And no room for Archie McClaren, C.B. Fry or Charlie MacCartney!

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