Aussies v World XI - It's on !!

[BJ]

I had him there JLC, it's maybe your pre-occupation with Essendon's slide that helped you miss it. Donny was the only other with a team in there.
A few people?

hehe

[JLC]

I noticed that but a few people made to changes to the team but didnt put Tendulkar as one of their ins....lol Perhaps an over sight.

Glad to see you had him picked.

jlc

[BJ]

If it was South Africa V the rest of the world,.. my team would be.. Langer, Hayden, Ponting, Martyn, Lehman, Katich, Gilchrist, Warne, Lee, Gillespie, McGrath

[JLC]

One Day Team

Shewag
Tendulkar
Lara
Kallis
Laxman
Cairns
Pollock
Razzaq
Boucher
Vettori
Muralitheran



Test Team

Graeme Smith
Michael Vaughan
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara
Jaques Kallis
Shaun Pollock
Mark Boucher
Chaminda Vaas
Mikaya Ntini
Muralitheran


jlc

[Donny]

Mate, he's just hit a Test triple century. Doesn't he deserve to have his name spelt correctly ?

And how did Vaughan make your Test team ahead of Gibbs or Sehwag ? He can't buy a run against an attack Geoff Boycott says couldn't bowl his Mum out.

[JLC]

Vaughan had a good series against the best bowling attack last summer against Australia and took on McGrath. He earned respect.

Remember this team is playing AUSTRALIA. Tendulkar, Vaughan and Lara are ALL proven against Australia.

jlc

[Donny]

Last summer, we played India.

The previous summer, when England were here, Vaughan scored 2 centuries. His other 7 innings produced 128 runs @ 18.3

Since his duck in the Sydney Test, he's averaged 40 in Test cricket. Overall, he averages 45.24

His last 6 innings have produced an average of 16.2

If that's the second best Test opener in world cricket (excluding Australia) then it's in worse shape than I thought.

[JLC]

His has also leadership experience that he can provide to the team. They were two fine centuries against an attack that included Glen McGrath who had nominated him as his bunny.

What have Laras last 6 innings produced out of interest ??

34, 6, 23, 0, 0 & 8 = 11.83 runs per innings

You nominated Richardson as one of your openers. Has he even played against Australia as yet ?? If he has how did he go ??

jlc

[Donny]

No, 1 fine century against McGrath.

His cecond century was in the fifth Test against Gillespie, Lee, Bichel and MacGill.

But point taken about Lara's recent form except I wasn't picking him as an opener.

Over the period I mentioned (from Jan 2003) when Vaughan averaged 40, Lara hit 2 double tons and a 190 with an average of 60.

When I chose my team, I didn't give it a lot of thought. I just tossed in the two Test openers who rated highest. Gibbs and Richardson - both in the top ten.

[JLC]

Thats fair enough.

I dont even think i have seen Richardson play before ?? So it is hard for me to put him in my team until i have seen him play.

Lara is quite correct to be picked as he rises to the challenge of playing against Australia on most occassions. Tendulkar averages around 57 against Australia as well. Laxman seems to have a soft spot for the Australian bowling (but i left him out as Kallis can bowl as well).

jlc

[MG77B]

My test team

Smith
Gibbs
Lara
Tendulkar
Kallis
Inzaman
Cairns
Boucher
Pollock
Vaas
Murali

My One day team

Tendulkar
Jaysuria
Lara
Kallis
Razzaq
Laxman
Dravid
Cairns
Pollock
Vaas
Murali

[Donny]

The PwC Ratings Test and ODI teams.

I selected these two sides purely on their standings in the most recent PwC ratings tables.

Test team.

Gibbs
Sehwag
Dravid
Lara
Tendulkar
Kallis
Sangakkkara (wk)
Pollock
Harmison
Akhtar
Muralitharan

12th. Inzamam

One day team

Gayle
Tendulkar
Jayasuriya
Lara
Kallis
Dravid (wk)
Flintoff
Razzaq
Pollock
Vaas
Murali

12th. Trescothic