The Set Max “selection committee” comprising chief selector Tony Greig, captain Arjuna Ranatunga, and coach John Wright has come up with the Best XI of the 2007 World Cup on the basis of their performances in the Super Eight matches.
1) Matthew Hayden
2) Sanath Jayasuriya (all-rounder)
3) Adam Gilchrist (wicket-keeper)
4) Ricky Ponting (captain)
5) Scott Styris (all-rounder)
6) Kevin Pietersen
7) Michael Clarke (all-rounder)
8) Chaminda Vaas
9) Shane Bond
10) Lasith Malinga
11) Muttiah Muralidharan
***
Four full-fledged batsmen, three batting all-rounders, two fast bowlers, one seamer, one spinner.
Has Gilchrist been better than Kumar Sangakkara? Can he keep to Murali’s doosra? Is it a good idea to bat the world’s best batsman at No. 4? Won’t Brad Hogg be more effective than Clarke? No place for Jacques Kallis or Daniel Vettori? And has Ponting been a better captain than Mahela Jayawardene?
Muttiah Muralidharan’s bowling action has been a suspect for ages. When he was playing in England as an overseas player, just a few years ago, the county teams who come to contact with each other closer than in tests witnessed how suspect his actions were, and there were murmurs from batsmen county teams, which were silenced. At the international level, whenever this problem arises, SriLankan ICC representatives through Ranjan Madugale who is a powerful person manage to put ICC’s representatives from white cricketing nations against black and brown nations and Murali gets away with his suspect action. Rumour is that even his SriLankan ex-cricket team mates could not believe that he got away for so long.
Note the absence of Indian players in the list:)
That is the reality!
hard to disagree with a list like that. Except maybe Gilchrist since Sangakkara can pick a Murali doosra a tad better.
Would have picked Kallis over Clarke, but just realized that leaves a spinner less.
…no Indian or Pakistani player deserves a place there.
There are Irish and Bangladeshi players who would have made that list before any Indian or Pakistani
I would pick Andrew Symonds over Clarke
It is in Indian subcontinent perhaps the exit of teams produce fall out.
The rest of the world ( with the exception of USA) is soccer mad. A West Indian friend tells me the influence of baseball and basketball meant that there is shortage of talented youngsters interested in cricket and hence the decline of cricket there. This explains why the disappointment of their team not making the semifinal is felt in a rather smaller circle of cricket enthusiasts whose numbers are also declining. In a country like Australia, if the team is defeated, there will be mourners, but Rugby and Australian rules football would distract the attention quickly. Similarly in England where soccer rules, the defeat in West Indies will be forgotten soon.
Still the importance is given only to batsmen and bowlers.A good fielding side can make an ordinary side look fantastic.In one dayers ,it’s the fielding that is as important as bowling and batting. In Indian team we have to ‘hide’ lot of fielders on the field.A Mcgrath at 37+ runs and dives whereas, Munaf 10 years younger, just moves around and throws the ball underarm from the boundaryline!
Forget the suspect action of Murali.
Malinga has got the worst action…
Glen Mcgrath will send them all packing.
I wud go with this
1.Hyden
2.Gilli
3.Pontng
4.Kallis
5.Ptrson
6.Gibbs
7.Styris
8.Symnds
9.Murali
10.Mcgrath
11.Bond
Yay! It is, specially coz Sachin’s name doesn’t figure in it!!!!
No India or Pakistan players cause they weren’t in the super eights. No Symonds because he was on the comeback trail and simply didn’t get the opportunity with the bat because Hayden, Ponting and Clarke were in such good form… which is why in this particular team Clarke gets the nod … but if picking on pure talent.. Symonds would be the first player picked for his fielding, batting and then bowling as a bonus. Oh ah Glen MGrath has to be their .. man of the tournament .. must have done alright in the super 8’s to get the award… and since it is base on super 8’s Gilly’s final in hundred doesn’t count and you would have to say if murali’s in then Sangakkara should get the nod behind the stumps… but Hogg very underated and if he was given the nod probably would push Gilly over the line.
Nice team it is for sure but I think Sri Lanka a bit overselected in the bowling stakes, after all their inability to penetrate Australian batting is the reason they lost. Murali is world class and Shane Bond for sure. Vass is also world class but between him and Malinga one must give way to McGrath. Clarke was brilliant in world cup but I feel he still yet must prove himself to be more consistent in long term to be selected in a team like this. Hussey was absolutely brilliant precup and didn’t really get opportunity to show his wares in cup so may be hard to justify but he is defintely in top 11 in world at moment. But without a doubt I would have Hersher GIBBS in the team, brilliant fielder and what a team player he is, he scores runs when the team really needs it and is a very underrated player.
I think the undisputed places in this selection are:
1) Matthew Hayden
2) Sanath Jayasuriya (all-rounder)
3) Adam Gilchrist (wicket-keeper)
4) Ricky Ponting (captain)
5) Scott Styris (all-rounder)
6) Kevin Pietersen
9) Shane Bond
11) Muttiah Muralidharan
I think the rest are debatable to some extent.
BRING BACK BOTHAM!!!!
BEST ONE DAY TEAM EVER:
1. Hayden, Matthew
2. Gillchrist, Adam (keeper)
3. Ponting, Ricky
4. Pietersen, Kevin
5. Richards, Viv
6. Tendulkar, Sachin (in his hay day, not present form)
7. Sobers, Garfield
8. Khan, Sir Imran
9. Warne, Shane
10. Hadley, Sir Richard
11. Akram, Wasim
YES I KNOW SOBERS WAS BEFORE ONE DAY CRICKET BUT IS THERE ANY DOUBT THE MAN WHO HIT Six 6’s in test cricket and is the greatest allrounder ever, wouldn’t have demolised one day cricket!!!! To keep it a bit fun I wanted to allow ONE selection from outside the 1 day era. (no Bradman though cause the great man is undisputed best batsman ever and I don’t think it would be doing the history of cricket or him any good to associate the ultimate test legend with the one day game)
Some interesting names that have to mention but can’t find a spot for them (remembering balance of team):
(1) The great Clive Lloyd (fantastic player – would like him there but like lara below decided to pip him for similar reasons. Lloyd realistically would probably have runs on the board to pip Pietersen but if I can’t fit Beefy in there I need an englishman in there somewhere!!!)
(2) Brian LARA (think he might push some but I prefer power of Pietersen and am a bit bias towards English having someone there (since I was born in UK)!! Other is Hayden but don’t like picking people out of the position they played ie opener but could push Lloyd into opening as he sometimes did)
Ian Botham, Waqar Younis, Sunil Gavaskar, Clive Lloyd, Allan Donald, Greg Chappell, Denis Lillie, Michael Bevan, Joel Garner, Curtly Ambrose, Sanath Jayasuriya, Murali would all have arguments to be in team. But the bowlers mentioned here, although some would arguably be better bowlers than some in team, couldn’t compete with the allronders selected who are all more than capable bowlers and give the team fearsome batting depth. Decided you need a spinner and although Murali was close second here Warnes batting and his greater ability to turn the ball gives him the nod for me. I also like Mushy but not quite enough to pip Warne or even Murali.
All said WHAT A TEAM!!!! Bats down to number 11 and the bowling lineup of Akram, Hadley, Khan, Sobers and Warne would be any batman’s NIGHTMARE!!!!!!
I know a lot of great names not here but who would make way for them? (remembering balance of team any suggestions?)
You guys have got it almost spot on, i’m not sure about Pontings place though i would probably put Jayawardene in there.As for the best ever, Gilli, Vaas,Murali,Jayasuriya, Ponting and Bond are the ones out of this line up to be chosen.
WORLD CUP XI
Gilchrist
Jayasuriya
Jayawardene
Pieterson
Clarke
Styris
Vaas
Bond
Malinga
Muralitharan
Mcgrath
WORLD BEST EVER XI
Gilchrist
Jayasuriya
Sir Viv Richards
Ricky Ponting
Ganguly
Ranatunga
Pollock
Akram
Vaas
Bond
Murali
hey guys, I would have to argue these guys as the greatest one day side:
1) Matthew Hayden
2) Adam Gilchrist
3) Ricky Ponting
4) Michael Hussey
5) Michael Clarke
6) Damian Martyn
7) Andrew Symonds
8) Mitchell Johnson
9) Brett Lee
10) Shane Warne
11) Glen McGrath
I would only have this side as the best one day side in the world because they all get along because they have played with one another before. They are all friends so they would play alot better than any other side.