World Composite XI (off topic)

[CharlesDarwini]

Convincing arguments CharlesDarwini. The one thing I disagree with is that the SA ODI batting lineup is strong! We may be world beaters in tests but the ODI team is inexperienced, unsettled and arguably doesn't have the best personnel playing!

got to agree with you there :P

[Graham_5000]

Convincing arguments CharlesDarwini. The one thing I disagree with is that the SA ODI batting lineup is strong! We may be world beaters in tests but the ODI team is inexperienced, unsettled and arguably doesn't have the best personnel playing!

[CharlesDarwini]

Swann has played 54 tests compared to Ajmal's 26 therefore Swann has performed in the international stage for a longer period of time. Ajmal has got 74 out of his 133 wickets in sub-continent pitches which are obviously very spinner friendly. Swann though, has performed all over the world. Come on, a 107 wickets out of 235 in English conditions is quite an achievement. To me it's quite clear Swann is the better bowler.

Ajmal's stats:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/42699.html?class=1;template=results;type=bowling

Swann's stats:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/20431.html?class=1;template=results;type=bowling

In any case, how can you ever say Ajmal is WAY better than Swann?!?! If you are arguing Ajmal is better, it can only really be SLIGHTLY better.

OK lets see shall we.. agianst south africa.. arguably the best batting line around right now.. swann avaraged 77! ajmal however avaraged 33! ... ajmal also in the past two years has maintained a much better economy and avarage than swann. swanns test avarage is 28.. ajmals 27 .. swanns odi avarage is 27, ajmals 23.. swann has a test economy of 2.89.. ajmal has an economy of 2.66 .... swann has an odi economy of 4.54 ajmal has an economy of 4.17.. thus ajmal beats swann in both avarages in test and odis as well as economy.. and did you see how many runs swann went for in the recent odi's england played against sri lanka and new zealand .. and monty was bowling better than swann in the test series against india in india.. and ajmal in the odi series against india(arguably the best players of spin) had an avarage of 10! ... swanns now performing agianst a weakend australian side.. who after michael clarke and watson have no other experianced batsmen.. and in the recently concluded champions trophy swanns bowling avarage was 50! whilst ajmals 27! i rest my case as in the champions trophy both played in the same conditions. and ajmal had to bowl agianst the south african and india two of the strongest batting line ups around.. and still maintained an economy of 4.36! and if thats not enough for you.. both played in the asme conditions in the pakv england series.. swann avaraged 25 with an economy of 2.83 and he was up against a weak pakistan batting line up.. ajmal ontheotherhand was playing against a batting line up which everyone will agree with me is much better than pakistans yet he avaraged 14 with 24 wickets... and if thats not enough for you both also played in the same conditions in the icc world cup.. ajmal avaraged 18 in the world cup swann averaged 25.. i rest my case mate..

[DaveK93]

Shocking there is no M.S Dhoni in any team, i mean come on he is the most tactically brilliant and skillful captain of recent times

I personally don't rate him that highly. He's good if you need quick runs, but in the test arena, I don't feel he is good enough.

[Graham_5000]

Dhoni is great no doubt about it, but I went for AB because of his runs - average of 49+. Dhoni averages about 39 I think?

[rock_cool2003]

Shocking there is no M.S Dhoni in any team, i mean come on he is the most tactically brilliant and skillful captain of recent times

[Alrounder80]

haha lol.. how can you say swann is way better than ajmal. i'm english and i would willingly admit ajmal is way better than swann.. sorry mate whats your back-up for that point? :P

Swann has played 54 tests compared to Ajmal's 26 therefore Swann has performed in the international stage for a longer period of time. Ajmal has got 74 out of his 133 wickets in sub-continent pitches which are obviously very spinner friendly. Swann though, has performed all over the world. Come on, a 107 wickets out of 235 in English conditions is quite an achievement. To me it's quite clear Swann is the better bowler.

Ajmal's stats:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/42699.html?class=1;template=results;type=bowling

Swann's stats:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/20431.html?class=1;template=results;type=bowling

In any case, how can you ever say Ajmal is WAY better than Swann?!?! If you are arguing Ajmal is better, it can only really be SLIGHTLY better.

[CharlesDarwini]

Let's see here then:

Cook (Best opener in the world)
Smith (Consistent)
Amla (Easily ahead of Trott)
Kallis ( Brilliant batsman, can bowl a bit as well)
Pietersen (Match-winning batsman)
Clarke (Oozes class)
Prior (Best wicket-keeper in the world)
Swann (Easily in a much higher class than Ajmal)
Philander (No-brainer)
Steyn (Most consistent bowler in the world)
Anderson (Most talented bowler in the world)

haha lol.. how can you say swann is way better than ajmal. i'm english and i would willingly admit ajmal is way better than swann.. sorry mate whats your back-up for that point? :P

[Harold Smith]

1. Cook
2. Smith
3. Trott
4. Amla
5. Clarke
6. Kallis
7. Prior
8. Philander
9. Steyn
10.Swann
11. Anderson

I rememeber back in '05 when the ICC team played Australia, even with the likes of Flintoff, Dravid and Smith they got slaughtered by the Aussies

[Graham_5000]

It seemed odd not to have an Indian batsman and Dhawan has only just started out really. Some of the stalwarts have gone off the boil, so I thought it might be nice to throw him in! Ditto Ashwin who is arguably not as good as Ajmal or Swann, but also offers a great deal with the bat, not that my team needs much help there!

[Alrounder80]

Cook
Smith (c)
Amla
Pujara
Clarke
Younis Khan
de Villers wk (copying Alrounder!)
Ashwin
Philander
Steyn
Anderson

Interesting choice with Pujara, seems a brilliant talent, but he's only really been playing on Indian pitches. The only occasion he has played on an overseas pitch was in South Africa where he didn't score any runs. But still, he has the technique and amazing concentration levels (two double centuries already!).

[Dick Van Dykes Disco Dog]

where's the love for Nick Compton

[Graham_5000]

Anderson (Most talented bowler in the world)

Nice choice! Do you think that Anderson as the most talented bowler in the world will finish with a career average below 30? He is undoubtedly amazing but his average and strike rate implies inconsistency. In the right conditions he is utterly unplayable.

Steyn is a must pick as he has the best strike rate of any bowler of all time with more than 300 wickets, I think he averages about 23.

[TheDevil666]

Let's see here then:

Cook (Best opener in the world)
Smith (Consistent)
Amla (Easily ahead of Trott)
Kallis ( Brilliant batsman, can bowl a bit as well)
Pietersen (Match-winning batsman)
Clarke (Oozes class)
Prior (Best wicket-keeper in the world)
Swann (Easily in a much higher class than Ajmal)
Philander (No-brainer)
Steyn (Most consistent bowler in the world)
Anderson (Most talented bowler in the world)

[Graham_5000]

Cook
Smith (c)
Amla
Pujara
Clarke
Younis Khan
de Villers wk (copying Alrounder!)
Ashwin
Philander
Steyn
Anderson