ICF All Time ODI Cricket Draft [MATCH DAY 5 - Group B] | Match 10

[BeautifulGame]

MATCH 10 : 

 

OPENING BATSMAN VS STUGE/BLEAF27 (  @OpeningBatsman   VS @Stuge / @bleaf27)

 

VENUE : OVAL , ENGLAND

This is where it all began. The first-ever Test on English soil was played here in September 1880, resulting in an England win over Australia by five wickets, with WG Grace scoring a hundred on debut, and this is where a Test series in England traditionally ends.

More pertinently, this is the historic venue where the legend of the Ashes was born a couple of years after the inaugural Test, in August 1882. England, chasing only 85 to win, slumped from 51 for 2 to 78 all out. The next morning The Sporting Times published its famous mock obituary and the legend was born.One of the true historic venues of International sport not just cricket.

 

TEAM @OpeningBatsman/@Cricketics



Well, I honestly believe we have the most balanced squad in the tournament. Some teams are packed with hitters without any one to hold the innings together so they could easily be 5 down for 50, while some other teams are so poor in bowling depth that they will concede 300+ every game.

 

The batting

                                            OPENERS

 The openers are the highly successful World Cup winning pair of Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh.

Gilly is also the captain of my side and he will keep wickets. Not only is Gilly the best WK batsman of all time (hands down), he's a very shrewd captain (conquered the final frontier in India with regular captain absent). The duo partnered during the 1999 Cricket World Cup in England, a tournament that Australia went on to win beating Pakistan in the final. Gilchrist and Waugh scored 3853 runs, including eight century run stands and twenty half- century run stands

                                         MIDDLE ORDER

At no.3, NZ skipper and a guaranteed future ATG Kane Williamson. This guy is not only technically correct (Avg 45) but also scores at a very fast clip (Strike rate 83) and ideal for a team with openers like Gilly n Waugh. Already regarded as NZ’s best ever, there is nothing more pleasing than watching Kane in his full flow.

The destructive Kevin Pieterson comes at #4. KP was one of the most stylish batsman to play for England. His never say die attitude and fighting spirit made him a force to reckon in the cricketing world.  A maverick and match winner on his own, KP is the ideal no 4 any team can have.

 

 

Following KP will be Mohd Azharuddin. At his best there was no equal to Azhar. Such an artist with the wrist and a delight to watch, he could take apart any bowling attack on his day. One of the best Indian fielder ever to play cricket. He was a complete fielder and could field in all position. (9378 runs in 334 matches)

 

At #6 , I have the best finisher the ODI game has ever seen. The OG, incomparable Michael Bevan. Unlike today’s players, Bevan faced some of the best bowlers ever to play and still averaged 50+ coming in at no.5/6. No total is safe as long as Michael Bevan is in and...

                                              LOWER ORDER

to support him at no.7 we have one of the most underrated AR in cricket - Dwayne bravo. Excellent death bowler with slower deliveries and yorkers, he can also hit them big  in the final few overs. Made for limited overs cricket.

 

 

Adding to the late order batting muscle, Shaun Pollock , comes in at no.8. One of the best all rounder to play ODI (underrated), he averages 26 with the bat, batting at no.8 and 9!!

 

The bowling

The combination of  Michael Holding, Shaun Pollock, Waqar Younis and the GOAT Shane Warne has to be the best bowling combo any team would love to have at their disposal, given the batting prowess my side possess.  Not to forget they will be ably supported by the wily Bravo. We also have Kevin Pieterson and Michael Bevan to bowl their part time spin and Mark Waugh who could bowl both spin and military medium according to the conditions.

 

What happens when one has the bloodline of legendary cricketers like Peter and Graeme Pollock? One of the greatest disciplined bowlers in the history of the game, Shaun Pollock  has 393 odi wickets @ an avg of 24.5 and an amazing economy rate of 3.67.

 

Pure poetry in motion.
King of yorkers and reverse swing.

Waqar, one of the fastest bowler of his era and virtually unplayable with the older ball and a wicket taker with the new ball as well, has taken 416 wickets @23.84.

 

With Whispering Death Michael Holding to partner them, we have the most complete fast bowling unit in this competition. His bowling was smooth and very fast, and he used his height (6 ft 3 1⁄2 in ) to generate large amounts of bounce and zip off the pitch.

 

Shane Warne – the name is enough.

THE FIELDING

Imagine Adam Gilchrist keeping with Azhar, Shane Warne and  Mark Waugh waiting in the slips.  Three of the finest slip catchers the world has seen.  Add to it, gun fielders like, Pieterson, Williamson, Bravo, Bevan etc, this team will easily save 25-30 runs in every match and take breathtaking catches, such a joy to watch.

 

 

 Ladies n Gentlemen, this is a team full of champions and truly a team for all conditions with batting depth till 9, bowlers and all rounders for any pitch conditions and one of the best fielding team one can assemble.

 

 

                                                             VS

 

STUGE/BLEAF27 XI :

 

Brenden McCullum

Hershel Gibbs

Brain Lara

Jayawardne (C)

Inzamam Ul Haq

Andy Flower (WK)

Richard Hadlee

Wasim Akram

Chaminda Vaas

Ashwin

Imran Tahir

 

 

Quote

 

As part of the ICF ODI Cricket draft, this is the voting for Match 8.Vote for the team you consider the best equipped to win a face of at Kingsmead ,Durban .

 

The voting will close on SUNDAY .

 

Also vote for the MATCH 9  here

 

 

[I6MTW]

Extremely one sided match up. Opening batsmen takes this.

[Ultimate_Game]

Will go with Opening Batsman's team. It's much more balanced and has all-rounders along with one of the best spinners the game has ever seen. I liked Akram & Hadlee backed by Vaas in Stuge & Bleaf's team but IMO spin is the weak link. Both Ashwin and Tahir can go for plenty in odis, especially Tahir and there are no other bowling alternates if any of the bowlers has a bad day. Opening Batsman can manage to get a few overs from Mark Waugh and Bevan's chinamen which could come in handy.

[Unstable Joe]

It looks like the only team with a chance to beat @OpeningBatsman's team is @Lord/@SLICKR392's team with the Dhoni army.  

[SLICKR392]

8 hours ago, Unstable Joe said:

It looks like the only team with a chance to beat @OpeningBatsman's team is @Lord/@SLICKR392's team with the Dhoni army.  

Are you gonna weep over a poll on the Internet for the rest of your life? 

[Unstable Joe]

6 hours ago, SLICKR392 said:

Are you gonna weep over a poll on the Internet for the rest of your life? 

Lol, chill bro. I dont actually mind. I'm actually hoping I get to face you guys in the knockouts so that I can call on the help of the anti-Dhoni brigade.  

[bleaf27]

Atleast got 3 votes including one of mine haha

 

I wish i was able to participate better so I could have chosen a more complete team . but good luck anyways !

[Pollack]

28 minutes ago, bleaf27 said:

Atleast got 3 votes including one of mine haha

 

I wish i was able to participate better so I could have chosen a more complete team . but good luck anyways !

Your team is good.

Just that it has few underrated players: Vaas, Andy Flower,Tahir bhai, Gibbs.