All this flat track bully stuff is a yawn, he belts Zim for 380 and 101 in 2 tests but what was he expected to do. What does it say about anyone who didn’t?

You can make arguments for against all players, some people even make arguments against Bradman – the only argument that counts is runs scored and average kept compared to your peers past and present. Bowlers are different however as overseas results say an awful lot about bowlers.

For what it is worth

My All time Australian XI – Trumper, Morris, Bradman, Ponting, Macartney, Miller, Gilchrist, Lindwall, Warne, Lillee, O’Reilly
My All Time State Of Origin NSW XI – Trumper, Morris, Bradman, Border, Macartney, Davidson, Gilchrist, Benaud, Lindwall, O’Reilly, Mcgrath – a team that would easily be the best provincial team ever and would match up against any best ever team.

ODI XI
1) Hayden
2) Gilchrist
3) Ponting
4) Watson
5) Jones
6) Bevan
7) Symonds
Lee
9) Warne
10) Lillee
11) McGrath

1) Trumper Brilliant Batter
2)Hayden Also Great
3)Bradman Obviously
4)Ponting Ya just have to put him in
5)G. Chappel Good captain and Great Player (CHAPPEL-Hadlee Series)
6)Miller Great All-rounder
7)Gilchrist Best Wickie ever
8)Warne Greatest Spin Bowler of all time
9)Lillee Obviously
10)Jeff Thompson You may think he shouldnt be in but his speed and killer toe crusher think differently
11)McGrath Crap Batter Awesome bowler

1) Trumper
2) Hayden
3) Bradman
4) Ponting
5) A Border
6) K Miller
7) Gilchrist
R Lindwall
9) S Warne
10) D Lillee
11) G Mcgrath
12) Brett Lee

Why is Spofforth not mentioned at all? He was more revered than Lindwall (not trying to diss Ray however) during the 19th century. Actually, he must be picked: he may well be our best ever. He won us matches in the manner Shane Warne would. Choosing a second spinner is good, but not essential as Warne is a phenominal. Hayden hit 30 hundreds and made one more hundred than he did a 50…. that’s astonishing. Averaged over 50 with a great strike rate and hit a world record score. Much more entertaining than Bobby Simpson, however, Simpson did average 55 as an opener and was a great cricketer. I like the selections people have gone with, it’s just my team is subtley different. It’s probably not QUITE the best for ALL conditions, but it’s capable and very potent.

Keeno’s team is:

1. V. Trumper
2. M. Hayden
3. D. Bradman
4. R. Ponting
5. G. Chappell
6. K.Miller
7. A. Gilchrist
8. S. Warne
9. D. Lillie
10. F. Spofforth
11. G.McGrath

Ive reviewed it a lot, but will never change my mind. In fact, it would be difficult for a cricketer in the future to crack this team.

What do you think?

Slater/Morris/Bradman/Ponting/Waugh/Gilchrist/Miller/Grimmet/Warne/McGrath/Lindwall

That’s a nice story about your father and the tied Test.

My love of the game started when I was 11 listening to the India v. Commonwealth XI unofficial test on radio in 1950 when Vijay Hazare hit a century in Calcutta. Since then Hazare is my hero number 1. I stayed up till late night listening to India being massacred by debutant Fred Trueman in the Leeds Test in 1952. At one stage India was 4 wickets down for no score. And I was devastated despite my hero Hazare scoring a gritty 50. (Now you know my age!).

Jonno,

Stats are important but have to be interpreted. Now Ponsford v. Ponting, both great batsmen. But Ponsford played when pitches were not covered. There were no helmets then. Boundary lines are shorter now.

You ARE a cricket tragic!

From memory Harvey faded due to eyesight problems, struggling to adjust to contact lenses.

O’Neill faded in 1965 at just age 28. He had severely criticised the bowling action of Windies fastman Charlie Griffith, which didn’t go down well apparently. He also was an extremely nervous man, especially at the beginning of an innings.

BTW, how old are you two, Vinay & Kersi – 120, 130 (only joking)!!!

My love of cricket comes from my father. In late 1960, I was just 4 years old living in a small, isolated coastal town on the north coast of New Guinea, where my father was the district officer.

I stumbled into the admin outpost one late afternoon to find my father, several other europeans, & even a couple of native policemen around a wireless set listening to something, with empty beer bottles all over the place! They appeared to be all very excited.

When I mentioned this scene years later to my father, he recalled it very well. He says that was the day they listened to the last day of the first test against the West Indies – the first TIE in test cricket. Broadcast was courtesy of Radio Australia.

My father told me the story of the tied test many times over. When I was 12 he gave me my first ABC cricket tour book – West Indies in Australia 1968-69. I still have it today.

I was now hooked on cricket!

Ponsford only averaged in the 40′s in the days when scores of 600+ were made on a regular basis. His fetish with hitting the ball on the ground would also be useless in ODI or 20Twenty.

I recall you started an all-time Australian cricket XI thread not so long ago – selecting better (ie closer to what I would pick) teams than Cricinfo seemed to manage. Very puzzling to me that anyone would be in the frame ahead of Chappell, G and Ponting (based on what I’ve seen) and Harvey (based on reputation) for the middle order spots after Bradman, and that you could ever leave Lindwall out of a team.

Incidentally, picking up the comment re the poetry of Lindwall’s action – the footage I’ve seen of it he was even more roundarm than Mitchell Johnson, so there may be hope for the Sandgroper yet.

Thanks for the kind words. Life can be unfair, can’t it, recalling your brief story above about Dhyan Chand.

American Indian Jim Thorpe was another, so shabbily treated by his fellow countrymen, yet probably the greatest allround sportsman of the 20th century.

On another matter altogether. Did you hear the story about Dhyan Chand being offered A Field Marshall’s Commission from Hitler after India beat Germany 8-1 in the Berlin Olympic Hockey Final? The sad part is Dhyan Chand died penurious and it is only now that the Indian Government hand out the highest Sporting Awards on his birthday. More of that when i complete my research. Keep well.

I’ve always approached selecting all-time teams from two directions.

1. You select the all-time team (or period/era) based on a combination of stats, the player’s domination at the time & his long lasting legacy.

2. You select the all-time team based on those players whose character & personality you admired, the manner in which they played the game, & perhaps their courage in particular situations.

I think my two teams might differ in about half a dozen positions, with the second mode of selection not as strong on paper, but perhaps a more united outfit?!

You certainly appear to have chosen a team based on the second mode of selection, & that’s quite alright.

Chappelli is one of my favourite cricketers, & my favourite captain, but statistically, no matter how much you stretch it, he isn’t an all-time first XI selection.

And believe me, I would LOVE to have him in an all-time Aussie XI, but I/you can’t justify it!

Ditto Benaud (unless we were English, where we pick the captain, then the rest of the team)!

Like Miller for Australia, Botham for England, Procter for South Africa & Imran Khan for Pakistan will allow you to select 2 other pacemen & 2 spinners.

For the Windies, Gibbs is clearly the outstanding spinner in their history. Add 3 pacemen, & then along comes Sobers, who gives the team both a 4th paceman & 2nd spinner, all in the one player! Not to mention brilliant batter to boot.

India is a bit tricky, & selection needs to be well thought out. The 5 frontline bowlers will give you 3 spinners & 2 paceman. However, by selecting Kapil Dev & Vinoo Mankad you immediately get two all-rounders. If you select batsman Hazare, he would be your 3rd paceman.

So there’s all these little variations from country to country making it a fascinating exercise. I always select an all-time team assuming the same XI can beat all opponents in all conditions in all countries.

There’s usually a ‘core’ of players that can be expected to dominate. Bradman, Miller, Warne & Lillee are virtually “untouchables”. Gichrist is another who can now be regarded as “untouchable”.

There a 4 openers in contention with each other – Trumper (rh), Ponsford (rh), Morris (lh) & Hayden (lh).

I’m both surprised & delighted at how well G.Chappell has stood the test of time. Statistically, only Bradman & Ponting have superior batting averages. Harvey (lh), Border (lh), S.Waugh (rh) & Ponting (rh) will continue to contest the middle order spots.

O’Reilly’s place will always be subjected to the whims of a 5/1/5 or 6/1/4 combo, while the arguement over Lindwall & McGrath for the 2nd paceman’s possie will continue unabated.

Kersi,

Grimmett is too close in style to Warne, while O’Reilly offers a different set of skills. Assuming Warne is the first spinner you choose, then O’Reilly provides a better contrast as #2, compared to Grimmett.

It’s a similar argument with the pacemen. Assuming Lillee is the first paceman you select, then Lindwall, with his greater batting ability, makes more sense to choose than McGrath, acknowledging that there is little difference in their bowling abilities.

Thanks for providing answer for Brett’s query on Australia’s Best team of the Century.

My personal Best Australian XI?
Trumper, Ponsford, Bradman, Harvey, Greg Chappell, K. Miller, Gilchrist, Warne, Lindwall, Lillee, Grimmett. 12th man: Jack Gregory. Motivator: S Waugh. Adviser: R Benaud.