I was watching baseball the other day (don't judge me, I was bored and there was nothing else on) and I heard an interesting thing. In the all-star game they have every year, there must be at least one representative from every team. This got me thinking about a cricket world XI picked with this same rule applied; at least one player picked from each of the ten test playing nations. This is what I came up with:
Tamim Iqbal (Ban)
Alistair Cook (Eng)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
Brenden McCullum (NZ)
Brenden Taylor (Zim)
Shiv Chanderpaul (WI)
MS Dhoni (WK) (Ind)
Vernon Philander (SA)
Ryan Harris (Aus)
Dale Steyn (SA)
Saeed Ajmal (Pak)
(I was operating under the assumption that Tendulkar's upcoming retirement had already happened, a post Tendulkar team if you will.)
All-Star XI
posted on 28/10/13
The all-stars games in baseball and basketball are played between two conferences with each team picking an all-star team.
Can you come up with teams for Asia+Africa+Caribbean vs Eng+Aus+NZ?
posted on 28/10/13
Eng+Aus+NX
Cook
Watson
Trott
KP
Clarke (c)
Taylor
Watling (wk)
Swann
Siddle
Harris
Anderson
12th: McCullum
BD+Ind+Pak+SL+SA
Tamim Iqbal
Dhawan
Amla
Kallis
Sangakkara
ABD
Dhoni (c, wk)
Shakib Hasan
Steyn
Ajmal
M Irfan
12th: Kohli
posted on 28/10/13
If I were to do two regional XIs, surely the windies and Zimbabwe should be included?
posted on 28/10/13
You are absolutely right, Jezzer. Let's place Zimbabwe with SA in Asia+Africa, and add WI to Eng, Aus, NZ.
posted on 28/10/13
How about this?
Eng+Aus+NZ+WI
Cook
Watson
KP
Chanderpaul
Clarke (c)
Taylor
Watling (wk)
Swann
Siddle
Harris
Anderson
12th: McCullum
Asia+Africa
Tamim Iqbal
Dhawan
Amla
Kallis
Sangakkara
ABD
Dhoni (c, wk)
H Masakadza
Steyn
Ajmal
M Irfan
12th: Kohli
posted on 29/10/13
Tamim Iqbal is no way near the best Bangladeshi batsman. He has been overtaken by new guys like Nasir Hossain and Monimul but trying to think of another opener to go with Cook is not easy.
Other than Smith who else is out there?
posted on 29/10/13
that's the thing, I personally think that Monimul is the best Bangladeshi batsman, but I needed an opener to complete the team.