Greatest Cricket XI of all time

Gordon Greenidge
Barry Richards
Don Bradman
Sachin Tendulkar
Viv Richards
Gary Sobers
Alan Knott (wk)
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Malcolm Marshall
Glenn McGrath

12th man Ian Botham

1) Almost changed my openers to Jack Hobbs & Len Hutton.
2) Went for a specialist 'keeper in view of batting talents of Nos 1-6
3) Opted for Warne instead of Muralitharan.
4) Resisted the temptation to include Michael Holding.

Barry Richards was different class!! My only concern is having played only 4 test matches is it enough. Also seen a couple of references to Alan Knott ahead of Adam Gilchrist who many of stated is the best wkt/batsman the game has known would love to hear the reasons why?

No arguments from me on anyone who included Len Hutton,Brian Lara or Glenn McGrath they are all worthy!!

I was lucky enough to see both Barry Richards & Gordon Greenidge play for Hampshire.

Barry Richards was not able to play more Tests because of Apartheid. Those 4 he did play were all agaist Australia,
he scored 508 runs (Av 72.57) and South Africa won 4-0. He was also a prolific scorer of runs in First Class cricket. I think it's generally accepted from talking to cricket fans/reading books, articles/listening to former players that Richards would have become one of the greats but for South Afica's exclusion from Test cricket.
Even Sir Don Bradman included him as a member of his 20th century team as an opening batsman so what better recommendation can there be.

Turning to the question of the' keeper Gilchrist is a good keeper who is brilliant (and very destructive) with the bat but is prehaps better suited to the shorter versions of the game. In my opinion Knott was a superb Test wicket keeper and he also averaged 32.75 with the Bat.
If you choose Gilchrist where would you place him in the batting line-up ?
With the talent from Nos 1-6 would his runs be required or even would he get a bat ? That is prehaps part of the reason I went for a specialist glovesman.
I just think that a specialist keeper would maximise the taking of wickets (less chance of missed stumpings/dropped catches etc ) and the saving of byes/runs.

lol having said all that I nearly choose Gilchrist because he would be more used to keeping wicket to Warne.

Jack Hobbs
Barry Richards
Don Bradman
Graeme Pollock
Dr W.G Grace
Garry Sobers
Imran Khan
Alan Knott
Mike Proctor
Malcolm Marshall
Muttiah Muralitharan

seeing as i am the only person to do so thought id explain why i picked marsh as my wicket keeper, i decided to go purely on wicket keeping ability as i had a hell of a batting line up and the 2 greatest bowlers of all time as part of my attack, and in my opinion marsh was the greatest wicket keeper of all time.

1. Jack Hobbs

2 Herbert Sutcliffe

3. Don Bradman

4. Sachin Tendulkar

5. Adam Gilchrist

6. Garfield Sobers

7. Keith Miller

8. Imran Khan

9. Shane Warne

10. Malcolm Marshall

11. Sydney Barnes

Nobody yet has mentioned Herbert Sutcliffe or George Headley, who, according to Wisden's criteria, are the only batsmen, apart from Bradman and Pollock, to have a test batting average better than 60.

(25-03-2011 14:51 )Hawaiian Brian Wrote:  Nobody yet has mentioned Herbert Sutcliffe or George Headley,

Yes I did. Herbert Sutcliffe is in my team.

1. Len Hutton

2. W.G. Grace

3. Don Bradman

4. Brian Lara

5. Sachin Tendulkar

6. Sir Gary Sobers

7. Sir Ian Botham

8. Alan Knott

9. Shane Warne

10. Malcom Marshall

11. Curtley Ambrose

Wg Grace was a pioneer.I just watched his ESPN legends on you tube great shout from those who called him.But is he really in the top six batters of all time?