The Alphabet Game

[Gingerfinch]

He does look more substance over style.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Great player. Probably looking at Botham's spot though.

Played in glasses, like Boycott.

[Arthur Crabtree]

There's only one Asian player in. Anyone overlooked from there?

[Gingerfinch]

Wasim Bari?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Just came back to mention him, but I think Boucher stays, though Bari was a better keeper.

[Gingerfinch]

Just thought of Mushtaq Ahmed for the A's , though Ashwin probably stays.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Unless played in Asia.

Don't think I can come up with anything for Bs. Good side, but no better than A.

[The Professor]

Woah. Let's confirm A before we move on.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It wasn't me!

[Gingerfinch]

[rich1uk]

bad ginger

getting over excited about a team bopara might get in

[The Professor]

1. Saeed Anwar
2. Dennis Amiss
3. Hashim Amla
4. Moammad Azharuddin
5. Zaheer Abbas
6. Ravi Ashwin
7. Les Ames
8. Wasim Akram
9. Curtly Ambrose
10. Mohammad Asif
11. Terry Alderman

Are we locking this in as our completed A team?

[hopeforthebest]

1. Saeed Anwar
2. Dennis Amiss
3. Hashim Amla
4. Moammad Azharuddin
5. Zaheer Abbas
6. Ravi Ashwin
7. Les Ames
8. Wasim Akram
9. Curtly Ambrose
10. Mohammad Asif
11. Terry Alderman

Are we locking this in as our completed A team?

Bill Athey?

[Gingerfinch]

Jimmy Anderson for Alderman or Asif.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Jimmy Anderson for Alderman or Asif.

Not for me. The stats say not. And Alderman took 40+ wickets in an Ashes series twice. He didn't play much in Asia but did have a good tour of Pakistan averaging 26. He averaged 26 away from home (to Anderson's 35, if you pick Anderson you're mostly picking for English conditions). He took a lot more wickets per match.

And Asif had the huge impediment of being a pace bowler who played his home games in Pakistan, yet averaged less than 25 (for me he'd be in the best attack of this century with Steyn and McGrath). His SR is 48.

Anderson has in his favour longevity and being a decent fielder. And is a better bat, though still a tailender. Admittedly Asif is always likely to get banged up on tour, but Anderson has a disciplinary problem, though this has gone largely unpunished.

If you were going to leave out Alderman (who looks the most vulnerable) surely it would be for Shoaib Akhtar, who has a phenomenal career record, brings frightening pace. Though is another pace bowler from central casting. In fact, I nominate that change. SR of 45 is among the ATGs.