ICC Test Team of the Year

ICC Test Team:
Alastair Cook (Eng)
Hashim Amla (SA)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Michael Clarke (Aus, capt)
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)
Matt Prior (Eng, wk)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Saeed Ajmal (Pkn)
Vernon Philander (SA)
Dale Steyn (SA)

SA (4)
Eng (3)
SL/Aus/WI/Pak (1 each)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/19420438

Rangana Herath, 70wkts @25, unlucky that the "selectors" opted for just one spinner.

Mohammed Hafeez, 1064 runs @ 53 also unlucky to miss out. With 15 wickets as well he scored more runs and took more wickets than Kallis.

With only one specialist spinner, I think Hafeez's performances over the last year would put him above Kallis who has a good but not steller season. That would also mean Amla can bat 3 and Hafeez can open.

I agree msp83. Squeezing amla into an openeners berth seems slightly perverse - and aimed purely to facilitate Kallis.

I think its a very good selection. Hafeez was statistically good but never totally convincing as a batsman in the last year.

Putting Amla up to open more highlights the lack of successful openers - Sehwag had a bad year, Watson was mostly injured, Smith and Petersen up and down, Dilshan inconsistent...

Shelsey93 wrote:I think its a very good selection. Hafeez was statistically good but never totally convincing as a batsman in the last year.

Putting Amla up to open more highlights the lack of successful openers - Sehwag had a bad year, Watson was mostly injured, Smith and Petersen up and down, Dilshan inconsistent...

i like the look of the team, however harsh on Herath and Hafeez...

Few mentions

Between August 4, 2011, and August 6, 2012, the period that the ICC has taken into consideration for the awards, Shakib al hasan has 451 runs averaging 50.11, 21 wickets averaging 28.61 in test

Graeme Smith during the same time period has batted at an average of 54.66 - scoring 820 runs with 3 100's and 5 50's

Younis Khan played in 12 matches scoring 948 runs at an average of 59.25 with 3 100's and 3 50's to his name

Mohammad Hafeez doesn't make it although he like cook has played 12 matches scoring 1064 runs against Cook's 1005 at an average of 53.20 vs cook's 52.89 and to me more importantly has 3 100's and 4 50's, Cook has 2 100's and 3 50's - Cook makes the team but hafeez doesnt - MH also took few wickets on top of that

Ko-King,

Interesting points statistically. I suppose opposition will have been taken into account - I can't recall Hafeez scoring that heavily against England, and the other matches were against the average bowling units of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The same would somewhat apply to Younis (although he wasn't too bad v England)

Shakib has good stats, but will have been affected by the fact that Bangladesh have hardyly played any Tests (4?) in the period.

Smith's raw stats make a good case, but my impression is that his form has been up and down.

No more up and down than Cook's I'd suggest.