Alec Stewart's Test Team Of The Year

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/22004592

A good team? Of course.

It could be better, of course.

Kallis imo doesn't deserve a spot. I know he can bowl but possibly AB and definitely Samuels (he can bowl) have done better in the last 12 months.

Ashwin over Ajmal is the first tragic decision. Just can't agree with that one.

Cook
Smith
Amla
Pietersen
Clarke
AB de Villiers
Prior
Philander
Steyn
Ajmal
Anderson

Only 20 odd wickets at over 30 though fists. Not that great.

Probably because Pakistan haven't played many Tests in the time period.

If its a World XI then Ajmal gets in it. I also can't agree with picking Pujara, who has only played 2 Tests outside Asia - in which he struggled.

It is based on the last 12 months, so maybe that's why Ajmal is missing, however, yes, the martians bring a team down to play us, then Ajmal plays.

Actually, I think the title of the article is misleading. 'Alec Stewart's Test XI' and 'Alec Stewart's Team of the Year' are very different things.

Shelsey93 wrote:Actually, I think the title of the article is misleading. 'Alec Stewart's Test XI' and 'Alec Stewart's Team of the Year' are very different things.

Good point.

Think its fair enough to go in with Ashwin over Ajmal or Swann, considering its a team selected from a performance base ranging over the last year or so. Pujara too is a fair enough selection.
But perhaps Samuels should have made it a head of Sangakkara or Kallis?

I agree with Stewart's team ecept for Sangakarra who in my view is less of a batsman than AB, AB has also performed better with the bat, and can just as well be the back up keeper. He has proven he is good enough. Oh, and he can bat at 4, it should not affect his batting.

I would also think that Kallis is more a luxury than a necessity based on his performances the last tweleve months. He is a big match player though, and scores when it is necessary.

I agree with Stewart on Performances of the last twelve months that Anderson misses out.

This is actually a very good team. Ashwins stats are protected because he played in mainly home conditions, but you can only play with whats given. 61 sfticks is a very good return.

Pujara for me has been the performer of the year. An absolute mega year for a rookie.

Fists of Fury- I dont think you can justify Anderson over Broad or Morkel in the last 12 months.

While I think Stewarts team is outstanding, heres mine

Smith
Cook
Amla
Pujara
de Villiers
Prior
Ashwin
Philander
Steyn
Broad
12th Herath
13th Kallis
14th Morkel

Broad? Really? He's been God-awful.

three fivers and a ten-for. Over the period

Anderson 13 matches 44 sticks ave 32.70 S/R 74.2
Broad 10 matches 36 sticks ave 34.6 SR 62.6

Morkel 10 matches 36 sticks ave 29.7
S/R 58.

SOme good individual performances, granted, but I cannot overlook the 79mph tripe he bowled inbetween.

my test team of 2012 would have been:

1.Graeme Smith
2.Alistair Cook (without a doubt)
3.Chetsehwara Pujara
4.Michael Clarke
5.Jacques Kallis
6.Marlon Samuels
7.Matt Prior (wk) (without a doubt)
8.Vernon Philander
9.James Anderson
10.Saeed Ajmal
11.Morne Morkel

like many things it all depends on the conditions, swinging conditions i would have to get Anderson in there. flat dry spinning track and you find room for swann or ashwin (ajmal is in my team) instead of one of the seamers.

would have Ab (just as a batsman) in over sangakarra whos been dining out abit against Bangladesh

cant argue with pujaras record this year but all his scores have come in india on flat tracks, not really seen the evidence whether he can do it abroad against a top team yet

Flat tracks in India?

Seriously, you need to start watching cricket rather than going on stereotypes.

People are seriously against giving Pujara his dues for some reason.

Shelsey93 wrote:Probably
because Pakistan haven't played many Tests in the time period.

If its a World XI then Ajmal gets in it. I also can't agree with picking
Pujara, who has only played 2 Tests outside Asia - in which he
struggled.

And I'm pretty sure you won't be opposed to Bell in a World XI despite his record in Asia.

ShankyCricket wrote:Flat tracks in India?

Seriously, you need to start watching cricket rather than going on stereotypes.

the last full series i watched was england there and correct me if im wrong if it wasn't panesar backed up with swann who took the majority of the wickets?

CF wrote:my test team of 2012 would have been:

1.Graeme Smith
2.Alistair Cook (without a doubt)
3.Chetsehwara Pujara
4.Michael Clarke
5.Jacques Kallis
6.Marlon Samuels
7.Matt Prior (wk) (without a doubt)
8.Vernon Philander
9.James Anderson
10.Saeed Ajmal
11.Morne Morkel

No AB, no Amla, no Steyn?

Amla averaged 82 runs per innings, the most runs during the year?
Steyn has a strike rate of 42 for the year?
AB averages over 60?

Hmmmm.

My World XI (not necessarily from the last year)

Smith (c)
Cook
Amla
Kallis
KP
Clarke
Prior (wk)
Pattinson/Junaid
Steyn
Ajmal
Anderson

compelling
and rich wrote:

ShankyCricket wrote:Flat tracks in India?

Seriously, you need to start watching cricket rather than going on
stereotypes.

the last full series i watched was england there and correct me if im
wrong if it wasn't panesar backed up with swann who took the majority of
the wickets?

So spinning tracks are flat tracks?
This English attitude pi$$es the cr@p out of me, tbf.

Steyn 60 sticks in 11 matches, leading wicket-taker in every series. Easily the stand out bowler in 2012/13.
Same way Pujara pretty much owned Tests. But I've noticed that even Indians are loathe to give him his due. He seems like a nice guy, I cant get it.

msp83 wrote:Think
its fair enough to go in with Ashwin over Ajmal or Swann, considering
its a team selected from a performance base ranging over the last year
or so. Pujara too is a fair enough selection.
But perhaps Samuels should have made it a head of Sangakkara or Kallis?

If its based on performances over the last 12 months, I'd go with Herath. Very consistent performer in a substandard attack.

ShankyCricket wrote:

compelling
and rich wrote:

ShankyCricket wrote:Flat tracks in India?

Seriously, you need to start watching cricket rather than going on
stereotypes.

the last full series i watched was england there and correct me if im
wrong if it wasn't panesar backed up with swann who took the majority of
the wickets?

So spinning tracks are flat tracks?
This English attitude pi$$es the cr@p out of me, tbf.

yeah pretty much in sub continent conditions, bouncy tracks can offer assistance to spin but in bounce funnily enough, but flat dry wickets that you get in india are what offers the most spin

not too sure why such a opinion would wind you up so much

A flat track is something that offers nothing to any type of bowling.

ShankyCricket wrote:A flat track is something that offers nothing to any type of bowling.

disagree, flat refers to a total lack of bounce which hinders the seamers more. bounce can/does affect spinners as well but a flat track can spin

Cf

No Steyn or Amla

Stella wrote:Cf

No Steyn or Amla

yeah doesn't make much sense when you omit the number 1 batsman and bowler, does it?

I think our friend CF is trying to stir some controversy.

Or he's bonkers

ShankyCricket wrote:

Shelsey93 wrote:Probably
because Pakistan haven't played many Tests in the time period.

If its a World XI then Ajmal gets in it. I also can't agree with picking
Pujara, who has only played 2 Tests outside Asia - in which he
struggled.

And I'm pretty sure you won't be opposed to Bell in a World XI despite his record in Asia.

No, Bell would not be close to my World XI precisely because of his efforts in Asia.

First choice top 6: Smith, Cook, Amla, Clarke, Pietersen, de Villiers.
Second choice top 6: Peterson, Gayle, Trott, Sangakkara, Kallis, Chanderpaul.

Gayle? Really? I'd have Pujara over him. Agree otherwise. Switch KP and Clarke though. Pup doesn't like number 4.

Stella wrote:Or he's bonkers

I figured that out 2 yrs ago, mate. What took you so long?

Anyways, this is nowhere near as bad as Stephen Fleming and Junaid Siddique in an all time XI.

Many conflicts, I see here. May be some of my friends have left out the best of the year but if performance are counted than many opposer will get a chance. Pujara, he is the most dependable now looking at his current form and the talks of his performance outside subcontinent is just vague, because now no one can guess how he will perform. Regarding spinners Ajmal, his performance in SA was really appreciable. Regarding Ashwin he is very dangerous when he gets his favourable condition. Rest my team will go like this.

Cook
Smith(c)
Pujara
Amla
ABD
Clarke
Matt prior(wk)
Steyn
Philander
Ashwin/ajmal
Anderson

Though there are many who are not in my team but I would also like to keep them are KP, Siddle, Sanga, Pattinson,Boult,Junnaid.

Chanderpaul averages about 97 for the period, albeit including big scores against Zim & Bangladesh. If you move back a month (don't know why Stewart has excluded April 2012 as it only leaves 11 months) his average is still about 93 & includes a century & 3 fifties against the Aussies. I'd have him in at 6, exclude Sangakkara & move Kallis & Clarke up a position.

I must admit, I dont know what Gayle has done in the last 12 months, to even be in the reckoning

Gayle's comeback to test cricket was superb with a 150 and then an unbeaten 50 in a 4th innings chase. But since then, he struggled against Bangladesh, and had one other decent test score, and that too came against Zimbabwe. Admitedly, West Indies didn't play too many test matches against top teams since his comeback, not his fault, but under the given circumstances, he can't really be considered.
As for Pujara, again its not his fault that India didn't play in non-sub-continent conditions over the last 12 months. He came back into the squad, and scored runs on difficult tracks.
The tracks in India in recent test matches, have been anything but flat. Nagpur was a horrible track that had nothing for bowlers or batsmen, Ahmedabad was a slow and low track. All other tracks where pretty good. And Pujara has shown that he's a master of these conditions. Hashim Amla didn't play in Asian conditions over the last 12 months. He may have had past success, and when he plays here again, I expect him to score bucketloads of runs, but that's not the point. The point is that you are putting together a team based on actual performance over the last 11 months. Based on that, Pujara has a very strong case to be in there despite not playing in non-sub-continent conditions, as has Hashim, who didn't have an opportunity to have yet another walk in the park performance in Asia just because his side didn't play test matches in these parts in the last 11 months. But he has scored runs in SA, England and Australia against quality oppositions.
The one player I have some doubts is Sanga, not because he's not good enough against quality sides, but a lot of his runs have come against Bangladesh, again not his fault, but the likes of AB de Villiers have scored big runs against more top opposition. As for Samuels, he scored runs against England in England, and performed well against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and he has picked up useful wickets as well. While a lot of Marlon's runs have come against not the top most sides, we have to remember his wicket taking and early good run against England. As far as tAB goes, he wasn't producing the big scores in England, but rediscovered his touch towards the latter half of the Australia series and has been very consistent since then, including against a good bowling unit like Pakistan and a fairly decent one in New Zealand.
Eventually on 2nd reflections, I would have AB and not Samuels in place of Sanga.

Although Rangane Herath has a strong case to be in there due to his performance over the last 11 months, Ashwin too has a pretty decent record, and besides, he's a much better bat and has scored runs in the given period under consideration.