Current best side in world cricket in spinning conditions

If you were to pick a test side out of players playing these days on spinning pitches who would you pick?

This would be mine:

1.Alistair Cook (c) (quality in all conditions!)
2.Virender Sehwag (not many openers are good against spin, and he tends to just belt them out of the park)
3.Azhar Ali
4.Michael Clarke
5.AB De Villiers (wk)
6.Thillian Samaweera (phenonmenal in spinning conditions)
7.Misbah Ul-Haq
8.Graeme Swann
9.Saeed Ajmal
10.Junaid Khan -Pace, reverse swing...nightmare on those pitches
11.Steven Finn -Extracts pace and bounce from lifeless pitches

No Amla? Sehwag?

Sorry, I can't agree.

The opening spot is tricky, but I'd go for Gayle.

Pujara who is so surefooted against even quality spinners like Graeme Swann has to be in there for sure. Sehwag? If he gets to play spin he might come good, but for that to happen, the opposition has to open the ball with a spinner. Going by his current form, you can't even say he would do alright even then.
Shelsey, Gayle did have his fair share of struggles against Bangladesh's Sohag Gazi. I'd go for Graeme Smith. Won't look pretty, he doesn't have a decent looking technique against spin, but Biff will be effective. The other option who could be considered is Tillakaratne Dilshan. He can bowl some useful parttime spin as well, perhaps that should count for something.
Alastair Cook
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Cheteshwar Pujara
Mahela Jayawardene
Michael Clarke
Shakib Al Hasan
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Graeme Swann
Dale Steyn
Saeed Ajmal
James Anderson.
Besides Smith, Rangana Herath, Hashim Amla, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior and Younis Khan also deserve a mention.

Cook
Smith (well, at least he can captain)
Pujara
Amlaw
Clarke
De Villiers (gloveman, also has two double tons in Asia)
Y. Khan
G. Swann
S. Ajmal
D. Steyn (does Finn average 21 in the subcontinent? five-fors in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka?)
Anderson (not in Steyns league, but still high quality)


I believe this squad could match up to any era in the SC. Just couldnt find a spot for my man Sangakarra or his buddy Jayawardene. But otherwise there cant be too many arguments

Well the question is what is the criteria for selecting the team?

Obviously you need batsmen who can play on dustbowls, but they still need technique and the ability to play fast seam bowling.

Now currently Amla and de Villiers are probably the two best players of soin from outside the sub continent.

To think someone will leave out Steyn for any other seam bowler is rather perplexing to say it politely.

Ajmal and Swann is likley the two best spinners, but I am sure ai am forgetting someone , perhaps Herath?

Then the question is who you gonna play?

If you play India, then Sehwag, etc can't be selected. The same applies if you play Pakistan , Sri lanka or Bangladesh.

Or perhaps pick two teams, then you could mix them up.


If you mix them up, then your six best upper order are.

Grame Smith, Allistair Cook, Virender Sehwag and Gauten Gambhir, Amla and Sangakarra.

Middle order.

Kallis, Chanderpaul, Jayawardena, Samaraweera, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq, Tendulkar and V Kohli.


Bowlers.

Most succesful seam bowlers in Asia.

D Steyn, T Southee, S watson and Junaid Khan.

Spin bowlers

R Ashwin, Swan, Ajmal and herath.

So perhaps select two teams from these players.

vs India
Cook
Smith
Amla
Y. Khan
Sangakarra
ABDV (wk)
Clarke
Jayawardene (its a tad low, alas)
Swann
Steyn
Ajmal
Anderson

vs Pakistan
Smith
Cook
Amla
Pujara
Sangakarra
Clarke
ABDV
Swann
Herath
steyn
Anderson

vs Sri lanka
Smith
Cook
Pujara
Amla
Clarke
ABDV
Khan
Ajmal
Steyn
Swann
Anderson

I had certainly thought about AB and Kallis. AB hasn't kept in the sub-continent as yet against spin on turning tracks so I am not convinced he could make it at this point as the keeper. Between Dhoni and Prior, Dhoni is better at keeping to spinners and he bats as well as anyone else in these conditions.
Since I wasn't picking Herath, I needed Shakib, a terrific performer in his own right, to come in as the left-arm spinning all-rounder complementing the offies Swann and Ajmal. The other place where AB coule have come in was either in place of Mahela or Clarke. Mahela is a champion on such conditions so I don't think I can leave him out. As far as Clarke is concerned, besides his recent form, his left-arm spin also goes in his favor over AB.

I take your point, 83. But picking ABDV allows me to pick a team with seven players averaging around 50. I nearly picked Jayardene over Pujara, but Pujara is a big-time talent, one I rank above Kholi, Sharma Rohit & Raina. The other option was Jayardene for Khan, but Khan at 7 is great in case the team is spun out for say 120/5

Biltong wrote:

Bowlers.

Most succesful seam bowlers in Asia.

D Steyn, T Southee, S watson and Junaid Khan.

Looking at the current form You can't left out Jimmy Anderson.

Sehwag [Ind]
Cook [Eng]
Pujara [Ind]
Jayawardena [SL] *
Dhoni [Ind] +
Samaraweera [SL]
Ashwin [Ind]
Swann [Eng]
Ajmal [Pak]
Junaid Khan [Pak]
D Steyn [SA]

Cook
Amla
Pujara
Kp
Kallis
Abd(wk)
Clarke(c)
Ashwin/swann
Ajmal
Anderson
Steyn

Reckon Ajmal and Rehman should both be in, ajmal because hes ajmal and rehman to exploit the rough outside leg, Amla has to be in and Steyn is the best bowler in the world.

So

Smith
Cook
Amla
Khan
KP
Kallis
ABDV
Rehman
Ajmal
Steyn
Anderson

How about this side against shah's side?
Chris Gayle
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Cheteshwar Pujara
Mahela Jayawardene
Michael Clarke
Shakib Al Hasan
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Graeme Swann
Rangana Herath
James Pattinson
Steven Finn

1- Alastair Cook (ENG)
2- Graeme Smith (c) (SAF)
3- Hashim Amla (SAF)
4- Mahela Jayawardene (SRL)
5- Michael Clarke (AUS)
6- Shakib Al Hasan (BAN)
7- Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND)
8- Graeme Swann (ENG)
9- Dale Steyn (SAF)
10- Saeed Ajmal (PAK)
11- James Anderson/Finn (ENG)

3 English, 3 South Africans, 1 each from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, also 1 from Down under.

only 1 each from the sub continent countries.