Which country has the best world test XI of the last 50 years from 1970-2020?

[Harsh Thakor]

I am comparing test World XI's of the last 50 years and ranking the best.


West Indies

Greenidge
Haynes
Viv Richards
Lara
Clive Lloyd
Sobers
Dujon
Marshall
Roberts
Ambrose
Holding



Australia

Hayden
Taylor
Ponting
Steve Smith
Greg Chappell
Steve Waugh
Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Jeff Thomson
Glen Mcgrath


South Africa

Barry Richards
Graeme Smith
Hashim Amla
Jacques Kalllis
AB Devilliers
Mike Procter
Shaun Pollock
Dale Steyn
Garth Le Roux
Alan Donald
Denis Hobson


Pakistan

Saed Anwar
Majid Khan
Zaheer Abbas
Javed Miandad
Inzamam Ul Haq
Imran Khan
Sarfras
Wasim Akram
Abdul Qadir
Waqar Younus
Shoaib Akhtar


England

Geoff Boycott
Graham Gooch
David Gower
Kevin Peiterson
Joe Root
Ian Botham
Alan Knott
John Snow
James Anderson
Derk Underwood
Bob Willis


India

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Kohli
Dhoni
Kapil Dev
Zaheer Khan
Bhumra
Gupte
Bedi


The teams that stand out are West Indies,Australia,South Africa and Pakistan.The conditions would play a major factor.On a very fast wicket West Indies or Australia may well come up on top while on batting wicket or in seaming condition sit may well be Pakistan or Australia.

West Indies and Australia had the most match-winners with the Aussies having more variety in bowling and the Calypsos having more talented and agressive batsmen.South Africa has the most allrounders in Kallis,Procter and Pollock in addition to some of the greatest batsmen and pace bowlers.In Devilliers it has a wicketkeeper batsmen who could even surpass Gilchrist at his crescendo.However its midddle order batting is not as strong as those of the Calypsos and Aussies and their players have not equalled the match-wining prowess of their opponents.Pakistan has the a great bowling attack but not as good a batting line up as the other teams.

Purely man -to-man I would choose South Africa but considering performances it would be a tussle between West Indies and Australia.With a gun on my head my vote would go for West Indies ,when you consider their impact on opposition.In batting Viv and Lara would give them that cutting edge ,all the 4 pacemen would make the side invincible and in Sobers they had the the cricketer who epitomized perfection in the game more than anybody ever.

Edited February 5, 2020 by Harsh Thakor

[express bowling]

My preferred Indian 11

 

1. Gavaskar

2. Sehwag

3. Dravid

4. Tendulkar

5. Kohli

6. Dhoni

7. Kapil

8. Kumble

9. Shami

10. Bumrah

11. Bedi

[SRT100]

WI and Australia at their peak were miles and miles ahead of India at their best in this period, include SA and Pakistan as well.

 

Also WI cricket dominated 70,80 and early 90s. Australia late 90s, 00s. No other teams dominated world cricket like they did.

 

 

[Harsh Thakor]

3 minutes ago, SRT100 said:

WI and Australia at their peak were miles and miles ahead of India at their best in this period, include SA and Pakistan as well.

 

Also WI cricket dominated 70,80 and early 90s. Australia late 90s, 00s. No other teams dominated world cricket like they did.

 

 

Was not South Africa better man to man and possibly best if they had played from 1970-1990?Was not Pakistan also their match in terms of pure talent and at their best?

[express bowling]

2 minutes ago, Harsh Thakor said:

Was not South Africa better man to man and possibly best if they had played from 1970-1990?

 

Not possible to say because they did not play international cricket.

 

2 minutes ago, Harsh Thakor said:

Was not Pakistan also their match in terms of pure talent and at their best?

 

What were their actual results ?

[Harsh Thakor]

4 minutes ago, express bowling said:

 

Not possible to say because they did not play international cricket.

 

 

What were their actual results ?

All but beat West Indies on their soil in 1988-arguably robbed by umpiring decisions.Best performance for 15 years in the Carribean.Almost drew a rubber with a great calypso team in West Indies in 1977.

[express bowling]

Just now, Harsh Thakor said:

All but beat West Indies on their soil in 1988-arguably robbed by umpiring decisions.Best performance for 15 years in the Carribean.Almost drew a rubber with a great calypso team in West Indies in 1977.

 

What about overall performances ?

 

India drew a test series in Australia in 2003-04.  Did not make that Indian Team an ATG one.

[R!TTER]

8 minutes ago, Harsh Thakor said:

All but beat West Indies on their soil in 1988

That was hardly the best Windian team ever, WI after the retirement of Clive, Holding et al were not the force they once were. Even after taking into account prime Marshall, WI best years were behind them!

[Harsh Thakor]

14 minutes ago, express bowling said:

 

What about overall performances ?

 

India drew a test series in Australia in 2003-04.  Did not make that Indian Team an ATG one.

Pakistan were much more consistent away.India had just flashes of brilliance.

[rock777]

4 minutes ago, Harsh Thakor said:

Pakistan were much more consistent away.India had just flashes of brilliance.

Great work sir

[express bowling]

3 minutes ago, Harsh Thakor said:

Pakistan were much more consistent away.India had just flashes of brilliance.

 

Between 2003 and 2011 on away tours in test matches

 

India's results ...

 

2003-04 Australia  ... DRAW

2007 England ... WIN

2009 New Zealand ... WIN

2010-11  South Africa ... DRAW

 

That is not flashes of brilliance.

 

We were mighty good in the 2003 to 2011 period.

[Straight Drive]

West Indies

[zen]

Over the years, NZ has competed well based on a few super players such as Hadlee (probably the biggest match winner in Tests) and Crowe. Now if some of these super players are bunched together, it would do even better. 

 

Turner

Fleming

Williamson

Crowe (c)

Taylor 

Jones

McCullum 

Hadlee

Vettori

Bond

Boult

 

On the question of the thread, it is WI, which can be stopped by Aus if likes of Warne have a great series! Though my 11s could be different than what is posted here! 

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by zen

[Ankit_sharma03]

2 minutes ago, zen said:

Over the years, NZ has competed well based on a few super players such as Hadlee (probably the biggest match winner in Tests) and Crowe. Now if some of these super players are bunched together, it would do even better. 

 

Turner

Fleming

Williamson

Crowe

Taylor 

Jones

McCullum 

Hadlee

Vettori

Southee

Boult

 

On the question of the thread, it is WI, which can be stopped by Aus if likes of Warne have a great series! Though my 11s could be different than what is posted here! 

 

where is bond ...he was an X factor 

[zen]

1 minute ago, Ankit_sharma03 said:

where is bond ...he was an X factor 

i knew i missed someone

[SUMO]

My Indian XI 1970 to 2020

Gavaskar 
Sehwag
Dravid
Sachin
Kohli (c) ... surprised ??
Dhoni 
Kapil
Kumble
Srinath
Zaheer
Bumrah

[zen]

Top 4 teams in my opinion are WI, Aus, SA, and NZ, which is a side strengthened by other good players to support premier match winners like Hadlee 

 

Pak and Ind played with many of its ATG players but still struggled to win as per their potential. We have seen Imran-Wasim-Waqar or Wasm-Waqar-Akthar attack being obliterated. And the team had batsmen like Zaheer, Miandad, Anwar, Inzi, etc., too to support the bowlers .... Sachin-Dravid-Sehwag line up has struggled too. Bowlers like Kumble came up a cropper in overseas conditions more often than not .... Like Ind and Pak, Eng is mostly good in its conditions .... Though many fans of Ind and Pak appear to make the most noise about their players/teams. It is like they are under some compulsion or magical spell to blow the bugle of their teams/players 

 

From Pak, Ind, and Eng, only guy who can get into a World Test 11 undisputedly is Gavaskar (ATG opener)  

 

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by zen

[putrevus]

3 hours ago, Harsh Thakor said:

All but beat West Indies on their soil in 1988-arguably robbed by umpiring decisions.Best performance for 15 years in the Carribean.Almost drew a rubber with a great calypso team in West Indies in 1977.

You really comeup with very weird reasons to back Pakistan.

 

1988 WI was not the strongest ,it was already on decline.1977 WI just was starting, India won in WI1976 chasing 406 .

 

India on other hand were legtimately robbed of series win in 2003-04 by Steve Buknor but it  did not make India great team.

 

To call any Pakistani team great is an insult to one's intelligence, they never were force outside Pakistan and  their batting was  very spotty in alien conditions.

 

So stop glamoursing Pakistan team. There are only two teams in history which can vouch for being super teams that is 1980s WI teams under Clive Lloyd and 2000s Aussie teams under Steve Waugh.

[Global.Baba]

@Harsh Thakor create a list from past players who would make a formidable T20 line up in this day and age.

 

Was planning on making one but wanted to see what you have.

[Global.Baba]

To add caveat is they shouldn’t have played even league T20 cricket.