Atherton - XIs for a dream match having played in / commentated on 402 tests

[goose]

Writing for the Times, Atherton says after playing in or commentating on 402 tests over 36 years, these are his two XIs for a dream test match. He is careful to point out these are not his best ever XIs but players who left their mark on him personally, having either played with them, against them, or covered them. Atherton debuted in 1989.  He also writes about his favorite grounds (including Wankhede) and innings but you'll have to subscribe - worth every penny! www.thetimes.com

 

Team A

1 Virender Sehwag (India)
2 Graeme Smith (South Africa)
3 Viv Richards (capt, West Indies)
4 Joe Root (England)
5 Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
6 Andrew Flintoff (England)
7 Adam Gilchrist (wk, Australia)
8 Shane Warne (Australia)
9 Malcolm Marshall (West Indies)
10 Jimmy Anderson (England)
11 Allan Donald (South Africa)

Team B

1 Saeed Anwar (Pakistan)
2 Graham Gooch (England)
3 Virat Kohli (India)
4 Brian Lara (West Indies)
5 David Gower (England)
6 Ben Stokes (capt, England)
7 Jack Russell (wk, England)
8 Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
9 Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
10 Darren Gough (England)
11 Curtly Ambrose (West Indies)

[goose]

Team A wins I reckon !

[sage]

No sachin ?

[goose]

6 minutes ago, sage said:

No sachin ?

I know! athers was challenged a lot in the comments including why no kallis or mcgrath but he insists these are not his best player XIs. make of that what you will. I think athers likes a bit of agro in his players. sachin was probably too mild mannered 

[ungboysj]

Has anyone seen jack russel keep

 

He was probably the greatest keeper world has even seen in terms of pure keeping

[putrevus]

So steady eddy did not find a place in Atherton's both sides. I think he must have been bomarded by steady eddy's fans.

[Lord]

Darren Gough ahead of Dale Steyn

[singhvivek141]

22 minutes ago, putrevus said:

So steady eddy did not find a place in Atherton's both sides. I think he must have been bomarded by steady eddy's fans.

No Dale Steyn, No McGrath as well.

In what world Darren Gough is better than the two ?

Jack Russell the keeper, no doubt he was good but even as pure keeper Dave Richardson or Mark Boucher will wipe them floor.

 

 

[singhvivek141]

2 hours ago, ungboysj said:

Has anyone seen jack russel keep

 

He was probably the greatest keeper world has even seen in terms of pure keeping

Dave Richardson was better IMO.

Haven't seen Allan Knott, but he is regarded as greatest pure keeper by many pundits.

Edited August 23, 2025 by singhvivek141

[Lord]

5 minutes ago, singhvivek141 said:

Dave Richardson was better IMO.

Haven't seen Allan Knott, but he is regarded as greatest pure keeper by many pundits.

 

Ian Healy? Those names didnt keep to spin much like Healy did

[Sooda]

Team A wins quite easily 

 

I guess it's an important proviso that these aren't "best" 11s but more like his favourite players

[putrevus]

31 minutes ago, singhvivek141 said:

No Dale Steyn, No McGrath as well.

In what world Darren Gough is better than the two ?

Jack Russell the keeper, no doubt he was good but even as pure keeper Dave Richardson or Mark Boucher will wipe them floor.

 

 

He is not , there is no Kallis either.How can any world XI be without Kallis.

[putrevus]

33 minutes ago, singhvivek141 said:

Dave Richardson was better IMO.

Haven't seen Allan Knott, but he is regarded as greatest pure keeper by many pundits.

Allan Knot might have been good but to say he or Jack Rusell were best even as pure wicket keeper is hyperbole.

 

Was Saha better keeper than Pant. Maybe little.But what Pant brings to table Saha will never bring.If both of same age and up for selection, I would always choose Pant. Aussie screwed Gilchrist by hanging on to Ian Healy too long also.

[Chakdephatte]

He said it is not an all time XI. 

 

You people are still arguing over his choices. 

[singhvivek141]

57 minutes ago, putrevus said:

He is not , there is no Kallis either.How can any world XI be without Kallis.

Indeed.
Kallis is very very underrated. At time I felt he had better defensive technique than Dravid.

Edited August 23, 2025 by singhvivek141

[singhvivek141]

1 hour ago, Lord said:

 

Ian Healy? Those names didnt keep to spin much like Healy did

Yeah, Healy too.
But as I keeper I feel Gilchrist was as good as Healy.
 

[Vickydev]

Now thats an acceptable Dream 11

[goose]

on the Tendulkar omission. it’s worth noting that for many in the UK and Aus, catching Tendulkar in his pomp wasn’t easily done. he didn’t play many tests, especially against Eng. games were not televised on platforms like Sky. if you wanted to catch all of Tendulkar in the 90s from the UK you had to pay for a Zee subscription and probably Sony too think. no Englishman was doing that. meanwhile Lara was selling PlayStation games named after him. the Windies were already part of the television traditions.

[nitinbwj]

Tendu is >>>>>>>>> Williamson in all formats. What a bunch of bullcrap. He is >>> Root too. Atherton has no idea about the weight of expectations of a cricket crazy nation in the 90s and early 2000s when we used to switch off TV on Tendulkar's dismissal. KW ..lol. Prime Tendu was something else.

Edited August 23, 2025 by nitinbwj

[raki05]

10 hours ago, putrevus said:

He is not , there is no Kallis either.How can any world XI be without Kallis.

He clearly said its not best xi its just the players who make mark on him.