world's greatest ever odi eleven

what is your greatets ever one day side, this is mine.

1)Adam Gilchrist (WK)
2)Sachin Tendulkar
3)Saeed Anwar
4)Ricky Ponting (C)
5)Ian Botham
6)Michael bevan
7)Brian Lara
8)Shane Warne
9)Shane Bond
10)Glenn McGrath
11)Allan Donald

Some rather glaring omissions and a very peculiar batting order (Botham at 5, Lara at 7?). Bevan's a good call though - one of the cleverest ODI batsmen ever, who would score at a run a ball depite rarely hitting boundaries. Closest England have had to him was Neil Fairbrother. Both were very good at placing the ball or just chipping over the closer fielders and picking up ones and twos.

Wasim Akram would have to be in there - probably the best death bowler ever, especially when he got the in-swinging reverse going.

Viv Richards is the other obvious absense - until Sachin, the best middle order ODI batsman, and the guy that largely invented the technique for moving around the crease to manufacture shots.

Sachin Tendulkar
Adam Gilchrist(WK)
Ricky Ponting
Viv Richards
Brian Lara
Michael Beven
Lance Klusener
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne
Waqar Younus
Muttiah Muralitharan

Close call for me between Ponting and Kallis, but on song, Ponting can impose himself more and determine the course of a match. Kallis misses out as there are other stronger contenders for the 4, 5, and 6 positions. At 7, I don't think there is anyone better than Zulu. Wasim and Waqar formed the most potent pace bowling attack during their peak, and the 2 spin masters should also be there. There may be some debate on Warney, but for me, he just edges Anil Kumble

those who deserve a special mention include Sanath Jayasuriya, Sourav Ganguly, Chris Gayle, Desmond Hainds, Rahul Dravid, Michael Hussey, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Glen McGrath, Joel Garner, Brett Lee......

msp - Joel Garner is a particularly good call. So menacingly accurate and difficult to score off.

Just looked up his details on cric info - in almost 100 ODIs, his economy rate was just 3.09. Even allowing for such rates being a lot lower in the '70s and '80s than now, that's still some achievement.

Good side CF,would question Lara at 7 and Bond in the side though.

I would have Muralitharan in my side aswell.

Best XI never to have played ODIs:

Hobbs
Bradman
Compton
Miller
Pollock G.
Walcott (WK)
Jessop
Constantine
Proctor
Davidson
Benaud

Hoggy - Benaud would have been a magnificent captain and player in ODIs. Always a very clever and quick reader of the game who would have been able to adapt to any format.

Proctor is a particularly fine selection. Too often overlooked on this type of thread.

I would also like to squeeze Jason Roy into your XI whilst we still have the chance - he'll be playing ODIs soon ....

Benaud was also a magnificent fielder Guildford, as were Davidson and Constantine (and one or two of the others), which was part of the reason for including them, as that is without doubt one area where modern cricketers generally surpass those of the past.

Hoggy - take the point entirely about Benaud's fielding.

Don't seriously expect Jason Le Roi to be in your team but do try and watch him ....

The greatest ODI spinner of all time is Saqlain Mushtaq.

Fastest to 50, 100, 150, and 200 wickets. (50 wicket was later passed by Ajantha Mendis).

Saqlain for the most part of his career averaged 2 wickets per game, unbelievable.

Warne, Murali or Kumble don't come close.

Agree entirely with Sonic on Saqlain. I have a huge soft spot for Warne, not only cos he's one of the reasons I got into cricket, but he performed at the biggest stage in 99, whereas Murali was ineffective both in the '03 semi and the '07 final. Warne is also the better batsman so gets the 2nd spinner slot.

For me, Wasim is the most talented fast bowler I have ever seen, he could do things with a cricket ball which I'd have thought were impossible. He gets in. Klusener is the ideal 7, at his best he was a very good bowler as well as such a destructive hitter. This leaves one place for a seamer. Close call for me between McGrath, Ambrose, and any of the West Indian quartet from the 80s. I've gone for Joel Garner as I'm told he could bowl a yorker at will, but am hesitant as I've never seen him, and the game has changed so much.

Gillchrist must surely be the keeper, and hence opening batsman. No one will argue against Tendulkar opening with him (will they?). Ponting bats 3 and captains, what a record he has (without Warne in '03 and Lee in '07 remember...). Richards or Lara straight shoot-out for 4, it's tough to leave out Lara, but Richards also scored a ton in a WC final. Bevan is a shoe-in at 6, I believe he could adapt to the modern game quite easily. Also, what a fielder (as was Richards)! This leaves the number 5 spot open. IMO 5 has to be versatile, he has to be able to consolidate after early wickets, knock it around in the middle and smash it around at the end. Slightly left of centre, but enter Mike Hussey, who has a brilliant record and can certainly to all the above.

My team is modern heavy, but I honestly believe the game has changed so much over the last 10 years or so that it would have to be. In its glory then:

Gillchrist (wkt)
Tendulkar
Ponting (capt)
Viv Richards
M Hussey
Bevan
Klusener
Wasim
Warne
Saqlain
Garner

Bevan, Tendulkar, even Richards can all bowl a little if needed. Brilliant fielding side as well.

edit: is there a call for a Jonty Rhodes at 5?

Between Wasim and Waqar, the Latter has an equal, if not higher claim. Waqar has 416 wickets from just 262 games at a strike rate of 30.5. His 13 5 wicket performances shows how distructive he could be. The man could bowl a very lethal yorker as well. For me, there is nothing to choose between the 2, so both get in ahead of worthy contenders such as Glenn McGrath and Joel Garner.

wasim was just the king of swing bowling

cricketfan90 wrote:wasim was just the king of swing bowling

Wasim was the King full stop dude!!!

Nice team Mike - certainly can see the justification for all of them.

Like the balance of the batting - aggressive with Gilly, Richards and Kluesner, versatility with Tendulkar, Punter and Hussey and cleverness with Bevan

Garner was the best one day bowler of his era - I happened to see some old highlights of his in a Gillette Cup final for Somerset - he bowled 11 overs for 19 and took 3 wickets. He was almost unhittable and was a wicket threat both at the start and end of the innings.

Akram was a better all-round cricketer than Waqar, and as a lefty able to bowl reverse swing either way he was another great death bowler in ODIs.

akram better than waqar!

Surely Luke Wright should be included, hes a good finsisher and handy in the field

Gilly
Tendulkar
Viv Richards
Martin Crowe
Dhoni
Michael Bevan
Kapil Dev
Garner
Akram
Murali
Warne

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Surely Luke Wright should be included, hes a good finsisher and handy in the field

I think Wright would be a useful addition for the promising B side that would keep the first team on its toes. Not sure about the whole team but the first three would be

Boycott
Gavaskar
Tavare

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Surely Luke Wright should be included, hes a good finsisher and handy in the field

I think Wright would be a useful addition for the promising B side that would keep the first team on its toes. Not sure about the whole team but the first three would be

Boycott
Gavaskar
Tavare

A Cook will be captain 8)

I doubt that Cook gets into this B team. Old hands on this site may remember Bill Lawry, a wonderfully dogged Australian opener who put together many a long opening partnership with the great Simpson. The B team is shaping up nicely.

The batting line is:

Gavaskar
Lawry
Boycott (who might then go slow in protest against not opening)
Hanif Mohammad (who once batted for 16 hours in a test match)
Tavare
Trevor Bailey

As an ancient hand I remember Bill Lawry and echo the Corporal's comments about him.

I get the impression that the B side is somehow going to try and grind out a draw in an ODI!

On that basis we could add medium pacer Bob Woolmer at seven followed by Bob Taylor as keeper. Both could certainly hold a bat but were hardly every minute when at the crease ....

Guildford - good thinking. I was struggling to find the right wicket keeper. Toyed briefly with the idea of promoting Jon Batty - but in deference to Chris from Stroud I decided not to....

Gavaskar has a track record in batting for a draw in a ODI. Facing an England total of over 300 in a 60 over match didn't he carry his bat, scoring 36 not out off 174 balls!

Thanks, Corporal.

I agree we should show consideration towards Chris from Stroud and so leave Jon Batty with the Gloucs second XI.

Most bizarre innings from Gavaskar at the '75 World Cup. I believe several theories were put forward as to his approach in that game but none ever seemed properly understandable. Lucky for him there weren't sites like this around then ....

cricketfan90 wrote:akram better than waqar!

And Wasim Akram was more than handy with the bat as well, although I doubt he would get a chance to bat with such a batting line up around.