Opening up for the left-handers is Australia’s Matthew Hayden, a terrifying prospect for opposition bowlers. Through his sheer strength and size, Hayden was capable of destroying any bowling attack and would therefore be an ideal man at the top of the order as a left-hander. Alongside Hayden comes Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya, a left-hander with an appetite for destruction. A man who believed in aggressive batting regardless of the format he was playing, Jayasuriya would be an ideal foil for Hayden in this left-handed team. In at No. 3 comes the best batsman in the history of Zimbabwe and a man regarded as one of the best of the last 20 years: Andy Flower. Flower managed to maintain a very high batting average despite his country’s struggles, and the left-hander would be an ideal man to have in this side. Another premier batsman, and one of the best in history. West Indian Brian Lara comes in at No. 4 for this team. A destructive player who used his high back-lift to hit the ball with immense power, Lara was capable of putting together enormous scores in any conditions. At No. 5 and captaining the side comes Australian Allan Border, one of the most successful skippers in Baggy Green history. A superb batsman also, Border led his Australia team to a great deal of success and would be the ideal leader for this team. This team’s all-rounder is, without question, the incomparable Garry Sobers of the West Indies, a man who could do anything on the field. With his batting, bowling and fielding, Sobers was one of the best players in the game’s history and would be a fine player to have at No. 6. Batting at No. 7 and keeping wicket is another Australian: Adam Gilchrist. With his superb glovework and incredibly destructive batting, Gilchrist could shift the momentum in a game single-handedly and was a demoralising sight for opposition bowlers. One of this team’s seam bowlers is Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, a player who could swing the ball almost anywhere. Couple that with his terrifying bouncer and his aggressive batting, and Akram presented a very tough proposition for his opponents. Alongside Akram comes Sri Lankan Chaminda Vaas, one of the top fast bowlers of the 1990s and 2000s. Vaas was crucial for his country for 15 years, and helped win the Sri Lankans numerous matches in all forms of the game. The last of our seam bowling triumvirate is India’s Zaheer Khan, a key part of his country’s fast bowling corps. One of the best seamers India ever produced, Khan is well worthy of his place as one of the best left-arm bowlers of all time. This team’s spinner is Derek Underwood of England, the man known as “Deadly”. Particularly effective on wet pitches, Underwood was capable of match-winning performances with the ball and took wickets throughout his career. Now, on to our team of right-handers. Opening for our team of right-handers is Englands Jack Hobbs, the man who scored 197 first-class centuries in his career. An immensely stylish batsman, Hobbs is remembered in history as one of the best opening batsmen ever produced. Alongside Hobbs comes West Indian Gordon Greenidge, a man who had immense power and strength. Part of the all-conquering West Indies team of the 1980s, Greenidge could be brutal with any bowling attack and helped build platforms for his team. In at No. 3 comes the greatest batsman ever produced: Don Bradman. An incomparable Australian batsman whose records will surely never be broken, he would be an ideal addition to this team of right-handers. After Bradman comes the man regarded as the “Father of the Game”, as W.G. Grace takes his place at No. 4. Other batsmen have scored more runs, and other bowlers have taken more wickets, but it was the Englishman Grace who brought cricket into mainstream society. Another destructive West Indian comes in at No. 5, and one would expect Viv Richards to continue the good work of his teammates in this fantasy XI. A true one-off, Richards’ sustained aggression could sap the morale of even the toughest of bowlers and take them apart Keeping wicket and batting at No. 6 comes Alec Stewart, a crucial part of England’s team for over a decade. A man who loved a challenge, he would be an ideal player to have come in at No. 6 against the left-handers’ superb bowling attack and build an innings. This team’s all-rounder and captain of the side is Indian Kapil Dev, who bats at No. 7. A superb player in every aspect, Dev was also an astute captain who guided India to their shock triumph at the 1983 Cricket World Cup. One of two spinners for this team of right-handers is Australian Shane Warne, the best leg-spinner in history. He was able to take wickets on almost any surface, and with his constant trickery was impossible for batsmen to dominate. Bowling seam for this team is Courtney Walsh of the West Indies, one of the most prolific wicket-takers in history. With his aggression and accuracy, Walsh could be relied on for control at any time during the opposition’s innings. Alongside Walsh with the new ball comes Glenn McGrath, one of the best Australian fast bowlers in history. Another who relied on metronomic accuracy for his wickets, McGrath also had a happy knack of removing the opposition’s crucial batsmen. Rounding off this team of right-handers is the greatest spin bowler in history, with Sri Lankas Muttiah Muralitharan in at No. 11. Another who relied on immense trickery and variation for his wickets, it seems unlikely that Muralitharan’s record of 800 Test wickets will ever be broken. How would the game between these two teams go? It would certainly be very interesting indeed, that’s for sure. If it was a Test match, played in Brisbane or at Lord’s on a true batting surface, it would almost certainly be a high-scoring draw. However, both sides have such brilliant bowling attacks that regardless of any failings of their batsmen they would have the capability to spark a recovery. On balance, however, this game would likely end in an absorbing draw. Sri Lankans will be watching in their numbers when two of the countrys leading sportsmen, cricketers Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, appear on television quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in their homeland. The pair will take on the questions for charity on Thursday, November 28. Understandably, everyone is tight-lipped about how theyll fare, but the duo are thought of as one of crickets more cerebral partnerships. Sangakkara, as All Out Cricket confirms, plans to complete his law degree after cricket. Whether theyll have the general knowledge required to flourish on the show remains to be seen. In any case, they certainly have form as a partnership. Per Cricinfos record list, the duo have put on the biggest stand in the history of Test cricket together at 624 runs against South Africa in 2006. Attention has already turned to the details, with some wondering who theyll pick for their phone a friend.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 01:28:11 +0000
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