Aussie All time XI

[Vijay Arumugam]

What will be the all time Australian XI ?

My choice would be

Arthur Morris

Lindsay Hasset

Neil Harvey

Don Bradman (C)

Greg Chappell

Keith Miller

Rod Marsh (WK)

Shane Warne

Ray Lindwall

Dennis Lillee

Glen McGrath


It is very difficult to choose an all time Aussie XI since they had so many stars. If we choose the players who are unlucky to miss out then we can choose another XI which will rival any country's all time XI. It is very difficult to drop names like Victor Trumper, Clem Hill, Tiger O'Reilley, Clarrie Grimmett, Bill Ponsford, Richie Benaud, Ian Chappell, Doug Walters, Graham McKenzie, Ashley Mallet, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Hayden, Ponting and so many other stars.

That shows the strength of the Aussie team.

[Paoli]

Hiya mate, I'll choose one:

Arthur Morris
Lindsay Hassett
Victor Trumper
Don Bradman (C)
Keith Miller
Neil Harvey
Jack Blackham (wk)
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Fred Spofforth
Glenn McGrath

[Zainub]

No Adam Gilchrist???!!!!???

[Maranello]

No because if you pick the best wicket-keeper (and not the best w/k batsman) Gilchrist does not qualify. An All-Time XI, especially one as strong as this, does not need an 'all-rounder' as their wicket-keeper, since there is more than enough batting in the side.

[Shiv]

Morris
Trumper
Bradman
G.Chapell
S.Waugh
Miller
Gilchrist
Warne
Lindwall
Lillee
McGrath

[Vijay Arumugam]

Zainub,

Maranello has given the answer for the same. I had the same thought process in my mind when I selected this team.

--Vijay

[Vijay Arumugam]

Paoli - Do you rate Spofforth ahead of Lindwall? I thought Spofforth was a bit like England's Lohmann. May be I am wrong. Do you rate him like Sidney Barnes of England?

Blackham - I don't have much idea about him. I would love to learn more about him.

[Beny]

Originally Posted by Maranello 47141

No because if you pick the best wicket-keeper (and not the best w/k batsman) Gilchrist does not qualify. An All-Time XI, especially one as strong as this, does not need an 'all-rounder' as their wicket-keeper, since there is more than enough batting in the side.

Gilly has more than proven that he is a good keeper. Athleticly he's far better than Healy, or for that matter anybody else I can think off.Some of the catches he's pulled off have been superhuman and I've rearly seen him make a mistake. But you would have this guy as a batsmen regardless of his keeping.

Ofcourse this whole Idea is relative. Trumper and the likes would get their butts kicked if they played today. Likewise our recent guys would dominate if they went back in time.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Beny

Gilly has more than proven that he is a good keeper.

#

No-one would suggest otherwise, Beny... it's just that he's not up there with his two immediate predecessors.. who were outstanding.

I'm not sure that an "all time XI" should NEVER consider the batting offered by the 'keeper... as that seems to me to depend on the balance of the rest of the team. The England all time XI debates are a case in point: if you go with three seamers and a single spinner then Evans gets the gloves... but if you want to include two contrasting spinners (classically Underwood and Laker) then Botham has to play at 6 (OK, but not ideal) and therefore Evans has to miss out to accomodate Knott at 7.

My thought on an all time Aussie XI balance is that this compromise isn't necessary: with Warne an automatic choice for all surfaces and conditions the side really should consist of 6 specialist bats of sensational callibre and an awesome 4 man attack.

[Milo]

Hello there Vijay, nice to see you've arrived from the BBC.

I posted this team up here back in November when the subject was touched upon.

Morris, Simpson, Bradman, Chappell, Harvey, Miller, Gilchrist, Lindwall, Davidson, Warne, Lillee,

For me, Gilchrist is the best number 7 to ever play the game and therefore he must play in the Aussie XI. I picked Davidson for the varied attack, and Simpson as he has the best record as opener of any Australian (bar Sidney Barnes who is their version of Barry Richards) and he is also the best slip fielder of all-time. The only thing I would look at changing at the moment would be maybe selecting McGrath instead of Lillee.