Any regular readers of this site will know that I make little secret of the contempt in which I hold the International Cricket Council. I do not apologise for the strength of phrase that I use, for contempt is exactly that with which they have for years treated the cricketing public, in my opinion.
For once however, I have a touch of sympathy for the ICC, today being criticised by many cricketing aficionados, not to mention the odd ex-player, after announcing its selection as the Greatest Test XI of all time.
It should be a special week for cricket, as we approach the occasion of the 2,000th Test Match, fittingly at Lord’s, and appropriately between the two top ranked nations in the game today.
The names on the team sheet, or more appropriately some of those omitted, have admittedly caused a stir. However, this is one occasion when the ICC is not wholly accountable, as the selection was that of millions of fans across the globe.
Of course, when this is the case, selections tend to be based on demographics, and Haroon Lorgat, the Chief Executive of the ICC, admitted as much, saying, “the selection mainly reflects modern players seen by present day supporters. There are many greats from the past who would have easily merited selection in this team.”
I suppose I might ask, why then call it the greatest team of all-time. As most pundits testify, armchair and supposed experts alike, it is odious to compare eras.
In cricket, you have to consider so many changes:
- Playing conditions (uncovered pitches for a start)
- Technology (bats are at least 100% than those use in the past)
- Protective equipment (helmets)
- Restrictions on bowlers (1 bouncer an over has made it a batsman’s game)
That only scratches the surface, and sometimes we just have trust our instincts.
We all have our personal opinions, and mine is that the modern batting average of 50 is worth about 40 pre-1990. It would explain why 40 was always the benchmark for a very good batsman, and 50 for an absolutely world-class player. That is definitely not the case in the modern game.
In terms of bowling, I believe that Strike-Rate always was, and continues to be, the truest measure of a great bowler, although we must again take into account that quick bowlers would be expected to have lower strike-rates than spinners.
The team seems to have been selected by a demographic, represented mainly by 15-30s in the Asian subcontinent. Again, I make no apology for this assumption, and leave others to judge for themselves.
The ICC team, as selected by the public, is here. It is predictable, but reflective of an audience with a bias towards modern players and those from certain nations.
Do not get me wrong, all of those named are legends of the game. However, nobody can tell me, as with Alec Stewart above, the opinion of whom is much more valid, that Sir Vivian Richards, Malcolm Marshall and Sir Garfield Sobers would not be in the greatest team of all time. The thought of Kapil Dev being selected above Sobers is one that is likely to make me laugh aloud rather than in anyway be irate, with no disrespect to the captain of India’s 1983 World Cup winning side.
However, if I am to criticise the ICC project for failing to appropriately provide for the wider demographics of the global cricketing audience, I cannot be seen to be arguing for West Indians alone.
I have seen a number of more balanced selections today, all of which would be fit to sit at cricket’s very top table. It is unlikely that you could ever get even 2 people in complete agreement, let alone 20 or 200, therein lies the beauty and challenge of this type of task.
Therefore, my aim is not to criticise the cricketing public, just to put forward that a project like this can only be successful if engaged equally from all parts of the world, encompassing all ages. Of course, that would be far too much hard work for our friends at the ICC.
For the record, here is my team – I would be disappointed if you did not disagree with me!
1. Sir Jack Hobbs (England)
(1908–1930, 61 Tests, 5410 Runs, Ave 56.94)
2. Barry Richards (South Africa)
(1970, 4 Tests, 508 Runs, Ave 72.57)
3. Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies)
(1974–1991, 121 Tests, 8540 Runs, Ave 51.00)
4. Sachin Tendulkar (India)
(1989–Date, 177 Tests, 14692 Runs, Ave 56.95)
5. Sir Donald Bradman (Australia)
(1928–1948, 52 Tests, 6996 Runs, Ave 99.94)
6. Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies)
(1954–1974, 93 Tests, 8032 Runs, Ave 57.78
235 Wickets, Ave 34.33, S/R 91.9)
7. Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
(1999–2008, 96 Tests, 5570 Runs, Ave 47.60
379 Catches, 37 Stumpings)
8. Malcolm Marshall (West Indies)
(1978–1991, 81 Tests, 376 Wickets at 20.94, SR 47)
9. Shane Warne (Australia)
(1992–2007, 145 Tests, 708 Wickets at 25.41,
SR 57)
10. Waqar Younis (Pakistan)
(1989–2003, 87 Tests, 373 Wickets at 23.56,
SR 43)
11. Sydney Barnes (England)
(1901 – 1914, 27 Tests, 189 Wickets at 16.43,
SR 41.6)
I hope that as a side, it reflects the history of Test Cricket, selecting players from eras when their sides were dominant largely because of them. I fully expect that many will have differing opinions, but I would trust this unit against any … other than perhaps my second team!!
![[Reuse options]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.png){kind=small}
Rohan Kallicharan
I am the editor of hetoreahamstring.co.uk and also have a personal site at rohankallicharan.co.uk. I am passionate about all sports and would probably pay over the odds from a tout to watch the world tiddlywinks final. I was fortunate to grow up inside the dressing room of the legendary West Indian cricket team of the 1970/80s - this has, I hope, given me a real insight into sport as a whole and the mindset of successful sportsmen. I played cricket and rugby at representative level as a youth, and also have a UK College Bowl winning medal in American Football! My real passions are West Indian cricket and Liverpool Football Club but I will write about much more! I hope you enjoy the site.
Follow Me:
Rohan,
The voted list is a joke. Yes, Sir Garry is the greatest cricketer who ever lived, Malcolm Marshall [ to my mind] was the best and most complete fast bowler and who can say anything about Sir Viv?
In your list, instead of Jack Hobbs, I would add Sunil Gavaskar. He was possibly the complete Test batsman. I was fortunate to witness his last test innings against Pakistan on a minefield of a wicket in Bangalore, in a high pressure cooker environment, and I challenge anyone of the present generation to even play that type of innings.
- spam
- offensive
- disagree
- off topic
Like