Greatest Cricket XI of all time

I was thinking about this while watching the India match and reckon I got a decent team here!!!

Greenidge(WI)
Haynes(WI)
Bradman(AUS)
Tendulkar(IND)
Richards(WI)
Sobers(WI)
Gilchrist (wkt)(AUS)
Warne(AUS)
Lillie(AUS)
Thomson(AUS)
Marshall (WI)

12th man Imran Khan (Pakistan)


I reckon Haynes and Greenidge are the best opening partnership ever.Bradman nuff said Tendulkar and Viv richards pick themselves. Sobers got the nod over Botham and Khan as the genuine all rounder. Warne is a legend. There is probably debate over Lillie and Thomson and many say malcolm Marshall was the best pace bowler who ever lived.

Lets start the debate in this world cup year!!!

no brian charles lara or glen mcgrath!?

Sir Jack Hobbs(ENG)
Gordon Greenidge(WI)
Sir Donald Bradman(AUS)
Jack Kallis(SA)
Wally Hammond(ENG)
Sir Gary Sobers(WI)
Adam Gilchrist(AUS)
Sir Richard Hadlee(NZ)
Shane Warne(AUS)
Glenn McGrath(AUS)
Dennis Lillie(AUS)

12th man Sir Ian Botham

I tried hard to put someone from my own country in the 11 on merit but Wally Hammond ahead of Sir Viv Richards (as we are recognizing knighthoods) not sure about that the bowling alternative from Lancelot is a great call would not argue with that it would be close.

How can you have a World Eleven without W G Grace.

Don Bradman (Australia)
Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Brian Lara (West Indies)
Viv Richards (West Indies)
Steve Waugh (Australia)
Garfield Sobers (West Indies)
Kapil Dev (India)
Shane Warne (Australia)
Dennis Lillee (Australia)
Curtly Ambrose (West Indies)
Glen McGrath (Australia)

Ian Botham (England) - 12th man

I put a lot of thought into my cricket XI, basing my decisions not only on statistics but what they actually brought to the game, the era they played in and the impact they had on the sport itself. Nobody would ever argue with the inclusion of the DON and probably Shane Warne but there are many many other great players who it could be argued should be in an all time XI.

Wally Hammond not only had a better test average than Viv Richards ( 58 to 51 ) but also a higher test best score ( 336 to 291 ).
He also scored 167 first class centuries compared to Viv Richards 114.

A couple of alternatives to sweetsugar007's selection I might suggest would be Barry Richards to open with Gordon Greenidge and I would try to find a place for Michael Holding who was not nicknamed 'Whispering Death ' for nothing.

With all that batting talent I might go for a more specialist wicket keeper,Alan Knott would be my choice as he was prehaps not only the best 'keeper I've seen but chipped in with some important runs at crucial times.
I would have Ian Botham as 12th man


Still thinking.. Glenn Mcgrath, Graeme Pollock,Richard Hadlee,Keith Miller,Harold Larwood Len Hutton to name but a few

Sir Jack Hobbs (ENG)
Gordon Greenidge (WI)
Sir Donald Bradman (AUS)
Brian Lara (WI)
Sachin Tendulker (IND)
Sir Garfield Sobers (WI)
Adam Gilchrist(wkt)(AUS)
Shane Warne (AUS)
Sir Richard Hadlee (NZ)
Dennis Lillee (AUS)
Sydney Barnes (ENG)

12th man: Viv Richards (WI)

greenidge
Hutton
Bradman
tendulkar
Lara
Sobers
rodney marsh (wkt)
Warne
lillie
Holding
mulitheran

richard hadlee 12th man

thats a team that would beat anything in front of it.

i wanted to find a slot for viv richards but i just couldnt