All time Test XI's

[meninblue]

Australia

1. Matthew Hayden
2. Alan Border
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Steven Smith
5. Michael Clarke
6. Steve Waugh
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Pat Cummins
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Shane Warne
11. Glenn McGrath

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South Africa

1. Gary Kirsten
2. Graeme Smith
3. Hashim Amla
4. Jacques Kallis
5. A B D
6. Quinton De Kock
7. Shaun Pollock
8. Vernon Philander
9. Dale Steyn
10. Alan Donald
11. Paul Adams

[andy]

I already would have Maharaj in there over Adams..

[Arthur Crabtree]

Simon Harmer might be the best, but hardly played.

Mainly remember Nicky Boje being their spinner. Handy number 10 bat, but poor returns with the ball.

[andy]

Maharaj still the best though surely?!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Fair enough. Adams burned out quite quickly.

[sussexpob]

Maharaj still the best though surely?!

Maharaj has taken loads of wickets against terrible opposition, and been rubbish against everyone else.

Adams went out to India and did as well as any away spinner has really ever done, against arguably India's greatest batting line up somewhere near their peak.

Adams played half his career in a historical high period for batting, Maharaj in a period of low scoring...

Adams record for me is better.

[alfie]

SA spinner ? Surely has to be Hugh Tayfield ? Unless this is confined to "only those actually witnessed first hand by current posters"

Edit : Ah . I see it is now that I read back . Fair enough. Guess I am the only one on here old enough to remember him.

[Arthur Crabtree]

He retired in 1960!

Great record though.

[Gingerfinch]

South Africa don't even have a decent part time spinner to throw in do they? Someone like Carl Hooper.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Like many SA pace bowlers too, they were usually desperately hard to dig out when batting. Like Boje, or Pat Symcox.

[andy]

My AUSTRALIA XI

1.Matthew Hayden
2.Justin Langer
3.Don Bradman
4.Steve Smith
5.Steve Waugh (c)
6.Mike Hussey
7.Ian Healy (wk)
8.Pat Cummins
9.Nathan Lyon
10.Shane Warne
11.Glenn McGrath

[Gingerfinch]

An interesting team

Two seamers, who are pretty much the same and two spinners. Plus Hussey in there ahead of a few legends

I have Johnson in mine, so I'm in no place to question selections!

[sussexpob]

Stuart MacGill before the carpel tunnel syndrome set into his wrist, was a country mile better than Nathan Lyon...

[andy]

I know both the seamers are similair however Cummins can crank up over 90mph when needed and his skill level is immense, McGrath the greatest seamer the aussies produced....yes 2 spinners, and IMO both the best spinners in test cricket was a no-brainer....I know Hussey could be considered a random choice, but he was so good, he adapted to tests quickly and brillantly was incredibly reliable, and always got the Aussies out of a hole..I rate Lyon higher than Macgill yes i know different types of spinners but i didn't need a second leggie, and Lyon is incredibly good