From: faraz.rabbani@canrem.com (faraz rabbani)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: re: world test team for 1
Date: 3 Jan 93 18:35:11 GMT
Reply-To: "faraz rabbani" <faraz.rabbani@canrem.com>
Distribution: rec
Organization: Canada Remote Systems


 mikef@dph1.health.su.oz.au said:
 Mi> Here is my world Test team for the calender year of 1992. It's mainly
 Mi> based on my observations of scorecards around the world and of the
 Mi> matches that I've actually seen.
 [stuff deleted]

 Mi> 1992 World Test Team
 Mi> --------------------

 Mi> Keplar Wessels

Has he shown enough?

 Mi> Graham Gooch
 Mi> David Boon
 Mi> Martin Crowe
 Mi> Allan Border (C)
 Mi> Alec Stewart
 Mi> Wasim Akram
 Mi> Waqar Younis
 Mi> Mushtaq Ahmed
 Mi> Curtley Ambrose
 Mi> Craig McDermott


 Mi> Yes, it is a rather odd team, but all of these players have had a good
 Mi> 1992 haven't they? It is certainly weighted more towards bowling, which
 Mi> I think reflects the dominance of ball over bat this year.

Well...  I think that Javed Miandad had a very good world cup and
deserves to be there simply on that, and his consistent batting, as
well as the fact that he is a senior citizen.  I'd put him in
instead of Wessels and use Boon as an opener.

 Mi> Wessels had a fine return to test cricket and though I haven't seen
 Mi> his statistics they surely must compare favourably against rivals like
 Mi> Haynes and Taylor, who both had poor years. Perhaps there is a case for
 Mi> either Rameez or Aamir to replace Gooch, I don't know.

Nope.  Rameez and Aamir are too inconsistent; Gooch is (like
Miandad) a proven top-class batter.

 [stuff deleted]
 Mi> Border at no.5 may be a surprise, after all he has played 2 tests in
 Mi> '92 at no.4 and 5 tests at no.6! However, it has been a good year for
 Mi> Border, he has scored about 650 runs from 7 Tests with 2 centuries and
 Mi> an unbeaten ninety, averaging in excess of 56. His captaincy has also
 Mi> been quite good. I recognise also, that there may be a case for Javed
 Mi> to come in ahead of either Border or Crowe.

Totally agreed.  He is a gritty guy who can come up with the big
inning when it counts most. 

 Mi> The biggest surprise is obviously Alec Stewart at no.6 and as wicket
 Mi> keeper, but he did have a good series against Pakistan didn't he?
 Mi> Furthermore, there are no outstanding candidates for the keeping
 Mi> position and Stewart will be England's no.1 keeper on their upcoming
 Mi> tour of India. 

Agreed! (Holy!) 

 Mi> I think that McDermott, Wasim and Waqar pick themselves after
 Mi> outstanding years. Anyone disagree? There may be a case against
 Mi> Ambrose, but that would only be because he has played so few tests this
 Mi> year. You may also want to leave out Mushtaq, and play another batsmen,
 Mi> but I will always include the form spinner of the year, which is
 Mi> certainly Mushtaq. 
 
Mushtaz was VERY good both in tests and in ODIs and kept batsmen
guessing.  The unnerving encounter with a leggie who can deliver a
good googlie must help the other bowlers in the attack.

I think that having 6 specialist batsmen, one allrounder (Akram) and
5 full-time bowlers is a good mix.  I think that (other than Miandad
instead of Wessels) you made a very solid pick!

Happy New Year!!!

Faraz Rabbani

                faraz.rabbani@canrem.com

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