Geoffrey Boycott: ICC's Dream XI is a joke - it has no credibility

[ahilya]

Geoffrey Boycott: ICC's Dream XI is a joke - it has no credibility

The greatest team of all time? You must be joking. It is so biased it has no credibility. It takes no account of the history of the game and the great players of the past. True great: but Garry Sobers did not make the ICC Dream XI The team selected by the ICC's online readers insults the records and achievements of the game's greats. Why? Because it has no understanding or knowledge of players from past generations. I bet the vast majority of the votes were cast by people from the sub-continent because five of the XI are from India and Pakistan. Apart for Donald Bradman, whose record is twice as good as most batsmen in the history of cricket, the rest are all players the current generation have seen play live. Just because you are dead doesn’t mean your record should be forgotten. The XI in this ICC team are all great players but to dismiss past players shows ignorance by the voters. Geoffrey Boycott's Dream XI ICC Dream XI Jack Hobbs Virender Sehwag Len Hutton Sunil Gavaskar Donald Bradman Donald Bradman George Headley Sachin Tendulkar Viv Richards Brian Lara Garry Sobers Kapil Dev Alan Knott Adam Gilchrist Sydney Barnes Shane Warne Malcolm Marshall Wasim Akram Shane Warne Curtly Ambrose Dennis Lillee Glenn McGrath We all like picking our best ever teams. It is a lot of fun but in the end it comes down to opinion. There is no right or wrong. But you can’t just go on players you have seen play or on statistics alone. Some of the biggest names of the past only played a handful of Tests. In the early years there were only matches between England and Australia. Two world wars interrupted many careers and South Africa, because of apartheid, were excluded for 20 years. Then there are runs and wickets achieved against weak opposition like New Zealand, India and Pakistan when they first became Test playing nations. The equivalents today are Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and the current West Indies team. In the early years pitches were so poor they had stones in them. Many players batted on uncovered pitches open to the elements until that was changed in 1979. There were no helmets and not even batting gloves in WG Grace’s day. Equipment is now better with bats heavier and hitting the ball further. There was underarm bowling, round arm bowling and over-arm bowling. The new ball was taken at different times, which means teams with fast bowlers had an advantage. In Bradman’s 1948 team to England the new ball was taken after 55 overs. Try facing Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller and big Bill Johnson with new ball after 55 overs. Test matches were played over three, four, five days and timeless Tests. To make a proper judgement of all players you have to do research on the times people played in. The rules they played under and type of pitches they played on. And even then when you have done all that we will probably only agree on five or six players. It is just a matter of opinion. If you really understand cricket from its inception how the hell can you not put Garry Sobers in as the greatest allrounder? How can you not include Sydney Barnes? Who is he most will say? He is recognised as the greatest bowler ever by people who know the game. In Tests he took 189 wickets at 16.43. Half the time he did not play Test cricket because he could earn more in the leagues where he took 4,069 wickets at 6.03. In minor counties for Staffordshire he took 1,141 at 8.15. That is a total of 6,229 wickets with not more than three hours coaching. What about George Headley from West Indies, who was christened the Black Bradman? He played 22 Tests in 10 years when West Indies in their infancy were pretty poor. His other nickname was Atlas. They called him Atlas because he held up the world for West Indies. He was only one who could play. He was that good. What about Jack Hobbs? He was the best batsmen ever on all kinds of pitches according to his contemporaries. He played on wet ones in England sticky dogs in Australia and made 197 hundreds, more than anyone else in first-class cricket. He made 100 hundreds after he was 40. Tell me, who can leave Malcolm Marshall and Dennis Lillee out of their team? One of the judgements I have of an iconic player is to be able to bat and bowl all over the world on any kind of surface. That is how to judge a true great. Not just making runs and wickets in his own country. Marshall had real speed on a quick pitch and the ability to cut his run down to bowl swing and seam as conditions demanded. He took wickets everywhere. Of modern fast bowlers everyone rates Lillee. Quick, clever, swing and seam. He was a craftsman like Marshall. The two players you can’t argue with are Bradman and Shane Warne. Adam Gilchrist is a good choice but I would pick Alan Knott because with such batting talent around me, I want the best keeper. When picking my team I would not select anyone still playing. That is why I haven’t included Sachin Tendulkar. It is not fair to pick someone still playing. When he retires we can judge him and he would then get in everyone’s best XI. Mine too. He’s an icon of the game. And more importantly, he is a Yorkshireman!! Ideally you would have a squad of 13 because pitches are very different. In Asia you would need two spinners. Most people don’t realise Warne did not do well in India. He took 34 wickets at 43.11 in nine Tests. Would I play him in India? No. I would play Wilfred Rhodes instead and Jim Laker for one of the fast bowlers. I am also a big fan on sub-continent pitches of including Imran Khan. He started reverse swing. So you see, it is not easy to pick a team for all surfaces.

[Gotham Cronie]

I bet the vast majority of the votes were cast by people from the sub-continent because five of the XI are from India and Pakistan.

Why bring Pakistan into it? They only had one player in the team.

[ahilya]

I would like Sire Navjot siddhu to choose his ICC eleven to give fitting reply to Sir G.Boycott in his own style.He always shuts boycott up.:giggle:

[zen]

No AT world X1 can be bad as the team is made of great players anyways .... Also the voting was done based on ICC's shortlist and it is very likely that people would go for their favorite players from the short-list .... the good way would have been to make an even shorter shortlist so the voters can be more focused or for even ICC to pick the 11 :dontknow:

[CSK Fan]

Didnt he know this was going to be a 'fan' chosen all times eleven and not all ti a historically and factually correct all time eleven? So basically the players who have more fans would win. Whats he whining about now

[mishra]

What about Jack Hobbs? He was the best batsmen ever on all kinds of pitches according to his contemporaries. He played on wet ones in England sticky dogs in Australia

:hysterical::hysterical: :hysterical::hysterical:

[zen]

My team (revised) - Sehwag (attacking bat at the top. Avg 50+ w/ an amazing SR) - Gavaskar (arguably the best opener of AT) - Don (its like playing 2 batsmen) - Richards (master blaster) - Sobers (arguably best batsman after Don, great all-rounder) - Gilly / Flower (top 2 WK all-rounders) - Hadlee / Kapil (spot for one of the four great all-rounders .... depending upon whether I want a better bowler or a batsman) - Marshall - Warne - Lillee - Murali

[ahilya]

Sir Geoffrey Boycott is right by not including Sachin in the team of mere mortals.How can God be in the team of mortals.

[Cricket Tragic]

Sir Geoffrey Boycott is right by not including Sachin in the team of mere mortals.How can God be in the team of mortals.

Read the article again.

[mishra]

Sir Geoffrey Boycott is right by not including Sachin in the team of mere mortals.How can God be in the team of mortals.

:cantstop: Sachin is Yorkshireman as per Geoffery

[Lurker]

Ideally you would have a squad of 13 because pitches are very different. In Asia you would need two spinners. Most people don’t realise Warne did not do well in India. He took 34 wickets at 43.11 in nine Tests. Would I play him in India? No. I would play Wilfred Rhodes instead and Jim Laker for one of the fast bowlers. I am also a big fan on sub-continent pitches of including Imran Khan. He started reverse swing. So you see' date= it is not easy to pick a team for all surfaces.

Another prime example why I have never rated this old loony. So you wont play Warne because Indians belted him in India? Then why play Rhodes and Laker? Did they ever play in India at all?? And if the answer is no why not select those who have done better in India, say a Richie Benaud? typical Yorkshire git.

[mishra]

In Bradman’s 1948 team to England the new ball was taken after 55 overs. Try facing Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller and big Bill Johnson with new ball after 55 overs.

How can new ball get different when picked up after 55 overs:giggle:

[ahilya]

Read the article again.

i've read it he is not in boycott's team.

When picking my team I would not select anyone still playing. That is why I haven’t included Sachin Tendulkar. It is not fair to pick someone still playing. When he retires we can judge him and he would then get in everyone’s best XI. Mine too. He’s an icon of the game. And more importantly, he is a Yorkshireman!!

Sachin's career is so long he can be judged now why he has to wait 2-3 more years.Btw i hope he never put him in his team.God need not be selected by mortals.

[mishra]

i've read it he is not in boycott's team.

Did you read it again? Seriously... :haha: :icflove:

[ahilya]

Did you read it again? Seriously... :haha: :icflove:

[vvvslaxman]

Boycott is angry that his name is not included :cantstop:

[Yoda-esque]

Boycott would include his mum in the team if given a chance...

[zen]

Boycott would included his mum in the team if given a chance...

:haha:

[cricketman]

I agree with Boycott, and anyone who doesn't is biased beyond belief. Are you kidding me? Likes of Sehwag should honestly not even be close. Kapil Dev? He was a great player but to stack him up against SOBERs, and even Imran Khan... eh.

[King Tendulkar]

Boycott does not include Lohmann. O how people forget the ancient dead, whats the problem Geoffrey, just cos Lohman was well before your time does not mean he should be forgotten!