From: apurva@cs.sfu.ca (Apurva Desai)
Subject: Re: The best ever Test  XIs
Summary: Best ever Indian Eleven?
Organization: CSS, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 20:13:13 GMT

In article <1993Jan23.040421.28286@news.acns.nwu.edu>, sidiyus@courtney.acns.nwu.edu (Sadiq Yusuf) writes:
> In article <1993Jan22.190936.15582@nmsu.edu> sbasu@kirk (BASU) writes:
> > 
> > I've decided to make a list of all time great XIs from Australia,  
> England,  
> > India, New Zealand, Pakistan & the West Indies for Tests.
> > 
> 
> 	Good job. These ideas are all off the top of my head - so don't  
> flame too much !
> 
> > AUSTRALIA
> > ---------
> > Vic Trumper
> > Arthur Morris
> > Sir Don Bradman (c)
> > Greg Chappel
> > Allan Border
> > Neil Harvey (vc)
> > Rod Marsh (wk)
> > Dennis Lillee
> > Richie Benaud
> > Fred Spofforth
> > Jeff Thomson
> > 
> 
> 	Iam mot sure of Thomson - surely there must be someone better (if  
> not faster). I would go Lindwall. Also, definately Miller somewhere - the  
> man was arguably the best (definately one of the best) all-rounders who  
> ever lived !! I'd drop either Chappel or Border -  Trumper,Morris, The  
> Don, Harvey, one of C/B, plus Miller is good enough, thanks very much !!
> 
> 
> > ======================
> > 
> > ENGLAND
> > -------
> > W G Grace (c)
> > J B Hobbs (vc)
> > Bill Edrich
> > Dennis Compton
> > David Gower
> > Les Ames (wk)
> > Ian Botham
> > Fred Trueman
> > Jim Laker
> > Brian Statham
> > Bob Willis
> > 
> 
> 	There are so many good players here, Iam sure Iam forgetting many.  
> But maybe Peter May, Boycott, Hammond ?? Also, Barnes etc. Tyson for  
> Willis. And my heart agrees with Gower, tho my mind asks me to think again  
> :-) 
> 
> > ========================
> > 
> > INDIA
> > -----
> > Sunil Gavaskar (vc)
> > Vijay Merchant (c)
> > Vijay Manjrekar
> > G R Vishwanath
> > Dilip Vengsarkar
> > Faroukh Engineer (wk)
> > Kapil Dev
> > Manoj Prabhakar

Definitely not him . I had rather go for Vinoo Mankad or no one. No doubt he is a good bowler at this stage but not an all time great.
> > E A Prassanna
> > Bishen S Bedi
> > B Chandrashekar
> > 
> 	Jeez, definately not Prabhakar !!! I mean, I think he's a good  
> bowler and all, and has been terrific of late. But really, one only has to  
> look at the stats to disqualify him !! He has 66 wickets in 23 tests, at  
> an average of 42.55 !!! ( I was surprised at how high the average was).  
> His strike rate is 87.76 - pretty low again ( Ayub is 89.34, and I don't  
> think his parents mother suggest he's All-Time Indian XI material :-) )
> The spinners are fine, of course. The other paceman - I don't have figures  
> on me but maybe Amar Singh  or someone of that generation ?? Or Nissar??  
> And while Iam clearly biased, maybe we ought to consider Azhar ? ( I know,  
> Iam a fan and am thinking with my heart. Plus, he hasnt scored against all  
> comers - yet !). But, V'kar has a better average than Vishy, by about a  
> run/inning -from memory. And V'kar is 116 tests, 42.14, 17 tons. Azhar is  
> 51 tests, 44.55, 11 tons . At the moment - pure stats are comparable at  
> the very least. Also, Kirmani may or may not have been a better pure  
> keeper than Farouk. Never saw Farouk, maybe some netters could comment??
> 
> 
> > ==================
> =====
> > 
> > NEW ZEALAND
> > -----------
> > John Wright
> > Glen Turner 
> > Geoff Howarth
> > Martin Crowe
> > Bev Congdon 
> > Mike Burgess (vc)
> > John Reid (c)
> > Sir Richard Hadlee
> > Ian Smith (wk)
> > Lance Cairns
> > Danny Morrison
> > 
> 
> 	Pass on most of this, except that Danny can't hold a solid place  
> in todays team !! I like him, but maybe Chatfield from the near past ?
> 
> > ====================
> > 
> > PAKISTAN
> > --------
> > Hanif Md 
> > Majid Khan
> > Zaheer Abbas
> > Javed Miandad
> > Mustaque Md
> > Asif Iqbal (c)
> > Imran Khan (vc)
> > Abdul Qadir
> > Wasim Akram
> > Wasim Bari
> > Sarfraz Nawaz
> > 
> 	Am sure you'll recieve flames for the omission of Waqar, but I  
> actually agree with you !! Would rather have Sarf , at the moment. Is  
> Mushtaq worth a spot ? If so, should be be anything other than captain ??  
> Definately not Asif as capt, with Mushtaq and Imran around. 
> 
> > ===================
> > 
> > WEST INDIES
> > -----------
> > Gordon Greenidge
> > Conrad Hunte
> > George Headley (c)
> > Everton Weekes
> > Viv Richards
> > Clyde Walcott (wk)
> > Sir Gary Sobers
> > Wes Hall
> > Joel Garner
> > Michael Holding
> > Lance Gibbs
> 
> 	How about Worrell ? or Constantine ? ( I know, no room :-) ) Well,  
> surely Marshall ?? I think he's been shortchanged for a while now - 376  
> wickets in 81 tests at 20.94, strike rate 46.77 !!!!! Compare with say an  
> Akram strike rate of 56.31, and 177 wickets off 45 tests, and you realize  
> just how sensational Marshall was !! Hate to say it, but maybe in place of  
> Garner ??
> 
> > =====================
> > 
> > Dare any of you to come up with a better XI from any of the above  
> > countries! Suggestions about South Africa will be welcome.
> > 
> 	To quote the great Bugs , addressing Sam : "..... I dares. " :-) 
> 
> 			Sadiq [ dastardly varmint ] Yusuf
> 
> > - Scrooge McDuck