Greatest Test Teams for Each Country

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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