Aussies v World XI - It's on !!

[Donny]

South Africa agrees to stage ICC's 'Super Series'

Wisden Cricinfo staff

At its meeting in Johannesburg today, the General Council of the United Cricket Board of South Africa agreed to host the inaugural ICC Super Series in September next year.

Australia, the reigning one-day international and Test champions, will play three one-day internationals and a Test match against the Rest of the World. No dates and venues have yet been finalised. The matter will be taken further when the ICC president, Ehsan Mani, and its chief executive, Malcolm Speed, visit South Africa at the end of March.

[Donny]

We might have done this before but I searched and couldn't find our World XI selections.

Here's the field:

Openers - Gibbs & Smith (SA) Vaughan (Eng) Sehwag (Ind) Richardson (NZ) Gayle (WI) Atapattu & Jayasuriya (SL)

4 other batsmen - Kallis (SA) Lara (WI) Dravid & Laxman (Ind) Fleming (NZ) Inzamam (Pak) Jayawardene & Sangakkara (SL)

Wicket keeper - Boucher (SA) Jacobs (WI) Moin (Pak)

Spinners - Murali (SL) Vettori (NZ) Price (Z) Kumble & Harbhajan (Ind)

Seamers - Pollock, Ntini & Nel (SA) Streak (Z) Vaas (SL) Akhtar (Pak) Bond & Tuffey (NZ)

Of course you diehards can select hacks like Tendulkar, Hussain etc. and anyone else I may have overlooked in the above names.

[The Prototype]

Hussain? Nah....Tendulkar on form in Australia would lucky to be selected, I'm not sure about Ntini, Vaas should be selected. Sehwag will have to improve, he really didn't set the world on fire against the Aussies.

[couragous cloke]

the windies players that will be in will be Lara, he will be in the test team and ODI team.. Gayle will only be in the ODI team.

[Donny]

Remember, there are to be 3 one dayers and 1 Test so your Test team may vary slightly.

Players who come into contention for the shorter version: Razzaq, Cairns, Styris, Flintoff etc.

[The Prototype]

I'd have Cairns at the top of my list for the One Dayers, I haven't seen Razzaq play for a while, the same with Styris. Flintoff looked good against the Aussies. I'd hate to be a selector for this team, because there is so much class out there, it would be hard getting it down to a squad of 14.

[Donny]

Oh well, I'll have a go.

For the 5 day game:

Gibbs
Richardson
Dravid
Lara
Kallis
Laxman
Boucher
Pollock
Vaas
Akhtar
Muralitharan

One day team

Sehwag
Gayle
Fleming
Lara
Kallis
Laxman
Jacobs
Razzaq
Pollock
Streak
Vettori

Bats to 11. Good keeper/batsman. 4 good seamers and two complimentary spinners and Sehwag if needed.

[The Prototype]

Only change I'd make from that line-up is Cairns, for Jacobs.

[Donny]

So, Dave, who would keep wickets ?

[The Prototype]

Oh right, Jacobs' is the keeper, duh at me on that one. Okay, well forget that one Cairns for Razzaq. Sounds right, Though I think you could almost have Boucher there as back-up keeper, next time I will make sure I am paying attention

[LeonMcS]

Magfan the only one in your test team I would change would be Vaughan for Richardson, purely on the fact of his record. And possibly a place to be found for Klusener in the one day squad.
It will be interesting to see how the teams are picked, whether it will be purely by form or forced to include a player from each country to appease the 'market'.
But I reckon Magfans pretty much picked the right teams.

[Donny]

Welcome to Nick's Sports Bar, Leon.

You said: "Magfan the only one in your test team I would change would be Vaughan for Richardson, purely on the fact of his record"

Richardson averages 49.02 in Test cricket against Vaughan's 46.53

Richardson is rated number 8 in the PWC ratings of Test batsman. Vaughan is 14th.

Vaughan has only 1 century and 3 fifties from his last 19 innings.

Richardson also has only 1 century but 7 fifties, 5 over 70.

I know stats aren't everything, Leon, but you did say "purely on the fact of his record"

Richardson's is better.

[LeonMcS]

cheers magfan,

whilst I dont the stats in front of me, I was thinking of Vaughan vs The Aussies, as I remember his last test series here was good while I dont think Richardson been as succesful against us. Cpould be wrong though.

[BJ]

My "rest of team" would be... in batting order: Vaughn, Sehwag, sach, Inzi, Dravid, Fleming, Moin, Vaas, Shoaib, Pollock, Murali
Maybe drop Moin for Lara, dravid could 'keep

[JLC]

Wow no Tendulkar from a few people.

jlc