Best Ever Test Teams
While there are some fairly esoteric mythical team
selections on this website, this page features one of the more straightforward
team selection exercises: simply pick a team made up of the best players to
represent each of the Test-playing nations. In each case, I have attempted to
select a balanced side to play on any type of wicket. This also normally
includes the selection of a specialist captain.
BANGLADESH: Al Sahariar Rokon, Javed Omar, Habibul
Bashar, Rajin Saleh, Mohammad Ashraful, *+Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique,
Tapash Baisya, Enamul Haque, Mushrafe Bin Mortaza, Manjural Islam, Aminul
Islam.
ZIMBABWE: Grant Flower, Stuart Carlisle, Murray
Goodwin, David Houghton, *+Andy Flower, Guy Whittall, Heath Streak, Paul
Strang, David Brain, Adam Huckle, Pommie Mbangwa, Alistair Campbell.
SRI LANKA: Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Asanka
Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, *Arjuna Ranatunga, +Kumar
Sangakkara, Ravi Ratnayeke, Rumesh Ratnayake, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah
Muralitharan, Hashan Tillekeratne.
PAKISTAN: Saeed Anwar, Hanif Mohammad, Inzamam-ul-haq,
Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Mushtaq Mohammad, *Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, +Wasim
Bari, Abdul Qadir, Waqar Younis, Fazal Mahmood.
INDIA: Sunil Gavaskar, Vijay Merchant, Rahul Dravid,
Sachin Tendulkar, *Nawab of Pataudi Jr, Vinoo Mankad, Kapil Dev, +Syed Kirmani,
Javagal Srinath, Erapalli Prasanna, S.P. Gupte, Vijay Hazare.
NEW ZEALAND: Glenn Turner, Stewie Dempster, Martin
Donnelly, Martin Crowe, *Stephen Fleming, Chris Cairns, Richard Hadlee, +Ian
Smith, Bruce Taylor, Daniel Vettori, Jack Cowie, Nathan Astle.
WEST INDIES: Gordon Greenidge, Conrad Hunte, George
Headley, Garfield Sobers, Viv Richards, *Frank Worrell, +Jeffrey Dujon, Malcolm
Marshall, Michael Holding, Curtley Ambrose, Lance Gibbs, Wes Hall.
SOUTH AFRICA: Barry Richards, Eddie Barlow, *Ali Bacher,
Graeme Pollock, Dudley Nourse, Colin Bland, +Denis Lindsay, Aubrey Faulkner,
Mike Procter, Hugh Tayfield, Allan Donald, Neil Adcock.
ENGLAND: Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Kumar Shri
Duleepsinhji, Wally Hammond, Denis Compton, *Percy Chapman, Ian Botham, +Alan
Knott, Jim Laker, Fred Trueman, Sydney Barnes, George Lohmann.
AUSTRALIA: Victor Trumper, Matthew Hayden, Don Bradman,
Neil Harvey, Allan Border, Keith Miller, *Richie Benaud, Alan Davidson, +Don
Tallon, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee, Greg Chappell.
...and THE
GREATEST TEST TEAM EVER: Jack
Hobbs, Matthew Hayden, Don Bradman, Graeme Pollock, Wally Hammond, Garfield
Sobers, +Alan Knott, Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee, Sydney Barnes.
Favourite Test Teams
I make a point on
this website of whenever I choose teams based on cricketing ability, I also
choose teams made up of my favourite players. See what you think of these
selections.
ZIMBABWE: Grant Flower, *Andy Flower, Murray Goodwin,
David Houghton, Stuart Carlisle, Sean Ervine, +Taitenda Taibu, Paul Strang,
Eddo Brandes, Henry Olonga, Douglas T. Hondo, Andy Blignaut.
SRI LANKA: Sanath Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama, Asanka
Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva, *Ranjan Madugalle, Duleep Mendis, +Romesh
Kaluwitharana, Ravi Ratnayeke, Rumesh Ratnayake, Graeme Labrooy, Vinothen John,
Amal Silva.
PAKISTAN: Aamir Sohail, Mudassar Nazar, Qasim Omar,
Yousuf Youhana, Asif Mujtaba, *Imran Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Wasim Akram, +Salim
Yousuf, Abdul Qadir, Azeem Hafeez, Mushtaq Mohammad.
INDIA: Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Navjot Sidhu, Rahul
Dravid, *V.V.S. Laxman, Sandeep Patil, Ravi Shastri, +Farokh Engineer, Roger
Binny, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Karsan Ghavri, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, S.P.
Gupte.
NEW ZEALAND: Mark Richardson, Geoff Howarth, John F. Reid,
*Stephen Fleming, Ken Rutherford, Jacob Oram, Richard Hadlee, +Ian Smith,
Daniel Vettori, Ewen Chatfield, Danny Morrison, Jeremy Coney.
WEST INDIES: Conrad Hunte, Phil Simmons, Richie
Richardson, Garfield Sobers, *Frank Worrell, Joe Solomon, +Gerry Alexander, Wes
Hall, Ian Bishop, Joel Garner, Alf Valentine, Larry Gomes.
SOUTH AFRICA: Andrew Hudson, *Gary Kirsten, Kepler Wessels,
Colin Bland, Jonty Rhodes, Aubrey Faulkner, Mike Procter, +David Richardson,
Pat Symcox, Fanie de Villiers, Dewald Pretorius, Eddie Barlow.
ENGLAND: Colin Cowdrey, Derek Randall, Peter May,
David Gower, *Percy Chapman, Andrew Flintoff, +Jack Russell, Johnny Briggs,
Charlie Blythe, Graham Dilley, Matthew Hoggard, John Snow.
AUSTRALIA: Sid Barnes, Kepler Wessels, Lindsay Hassett,
Brian Booth, Dirk Wellham, +Adam Gilchrist, Greg Matthews, *Richie Benaud, Alan
Davidson, Ray Lindwall, Colin Miller, Jack Fingleton.
...and THE
GREATEST TEST TEAM EVER: Kepler
Wessels, Mark Richardson, *David Gower, Dirk Wellham, Jonty Rhodes, Greg
Matthews, +Jack Russell, Fanie de Villiers, Colin Miller, Abdul Qadir, Henry
Olonga, Derek Randall.
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