Would the all-time test 1994-2019 XI defeat the all-time test XI of 1969-93 and of 1877-1993?

[Harsh Thakor]

All-time test 1994-2019 XI better than all-time 1969-1993 XI or XI of of 1877-1993?

In sport evolution is a continuous trend and athletes improve performances with time.Athleticism has improved in cricket but not necessarily batting and bowling standards in test cricket.Comparison of all-time teams of two separate eras gives us a strong insight to this topic.Test cricket took a leap in the 1970's and 1990's but has had a decline in the last decade or 2 in my view.


Al-time test XI from 1969-93

Sunil Gavaskar
Barry Richards
Viv Richards
Greg Chappell
Alan Border/Javed Miandad
Gary Sobers
Imran Khan
Malcolm Marshall
Alan Knott
Abdul Qadir
Dennis Lillee


All-time test xi from 1994-2019

Virendra Sehwag
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Brian Lara
Sachin Tendulkar
Jacques Kallis
Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne
Wasim Akram
Curtly Ambrose /Dale Steyn
Glen Mcgrath

All-time test xi from 1877-1993

Jack Hobbs
Sunil Gavaskar
Don Bradman
Viv Richards
Walter Hammond
Garfield Sobers
Imran Khan
Alan Knott
Malcolm Marshall
Dennis Lillee
Jim Laker

I would back the all-time XI of 1994-2019 to win against the 1969-93 all-time XI by a mere whisker as it has more match-winning batsmen who were more explosive or imaginative and more crafty and versatile bowlers.No doubt statistically or technically 1969-93 team is better with the likes of Viv Richards Sobers,Gavaskar,Marshall,Lillee and Chappell but I feel the latter all-time team had the edge with the match-wining prowess of Gilchrist,Warne and Sehwag.In Lara and Tendulkar it has 2 of the best batsmen of all time while it's attack had every ingredient of a perfect one with the accuracy of Ambrose,the control of Mcgrath and the versatality and reverse swing of Wasim.The scoring rate also of 1994-2019 level was considerably faster.

It must be said that Sachin,Wasim ,Ambrose and Lara originated from the 1969-93 era with Wasim starting in 1985 ,Ambrose in 1988 Tendulkar debuting in 1989 and Lara in 1991 but their main impact was from the mid 90's .

It is touch and go between the 1877-1993 team and 1994-2019 teams but because of presence of Bradman and Sobers the former would have the marginal edge.This indicates the boost tset cricket gained from the 1990's to a height never reached with stalwarts like Tendulkar,Lara,Wasim,Mcgrath,Kallis,Warne and Gilchrist.

Edited June 20, 2019 by Harsh Thakor