Greatest ODI XI of all-time

[Gingerfinch]

was that after Viv's retirement?

he did on the 84 tour, in the ODI's. I think Viv was more of a number three in the late seventies, though I might be wrong?

[GarlicJam]

Righto. I can't remember Gomes playing in the above game. Different tour though.

[Gingerfinch]

Righto. I can't remember Gomes playing in the above game. Different tour though.

The 1984 tour to England. garlic.

This was the same tour when he hit his 189no. I hadn't seen batting like that before. Definitely a WOW moment.

[KipperJohn]

What might have been. Excellent and absorbing article on Barry Richards.


http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/conte ... 23502.html

[Gingerfinch]

What might have been. Excellent and absorbing article on Barry Richards.


http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/conte ... 23502.html

Dinger ran in again. This one was shorter and on a good line. Richards adjusted his cap and fiddled with his thigh pad - well, he might have done, he certainly had enough time to

That made me smile.

[sussexpob]

Richards career means little to me personally, there are plenty of players who made it at a non-elite level and failed at the top.... Richards never proved anything at the highest level, and his name being mentioned on a greatest XI thread is therefore bizarre.

His test match career makes for short but impressive reading, but the passage of time has a tendency to cloud the details. The Australian team that toured to South Africa that year was in disarray. The ACB scheduled 9 test matches in a short space of time, and I think had in an previously not done way, agreed to play two full lengths tours in the same winter.

The India tour turned into an utter mess for Australia, with severe rioting in the stands against umpiring decisions, which at one point ended with stands on fire and the Australian team standing in the middle of the pitch waiting for the police to fight their way into the pavillion to escape hails of bottles, which injured a few players. The pattern continued with much of the series, and I think 4 games of the 5 they played ended with severe riots, in one match people several people were killed.

The Australian team all fell out with the cricketing over their handling of it, and also because they also announced a tiny squad for the two full tours (about 14 odd people) and sent all the reserve out for a A tour of New Zealand. The Aussies ended up struggling with the culture, the violence, many struggled with their diet in India, and the team arrived in South Africa only under board duress (Ian Chappel said the way the board acted in forcing them through both tours was the sole reason Kerry Packers WS took off).

Australias best bowler took one wicket in 4 tests..... their best batter averaged 11.....

The South Africans whipped a team that was simply turning up because they had to, and who were mentally and physically shot.

So in a way Richards runs that series didnt mean much

[Arthur Crabtree]

I only caught the end of Barry Richards' county career, opening for Hants in Sunday league with Greenidge. It's difficult to make a case for someone who hardly played international cricket to be one of the greats (people tend to attempt this more with Pollock than Richards I find) but even from when he was still playing, he always had a lot of respect from his fellow pro. The early seventies SA team does look pretty tasty.

But... if Mark Ramprakash had never played international cricket for some reason, we'd be asking what if about him. So, who knows.

[Making_Splinters]

Richards is an interesting player. Pretty much anyone who saw him play ranks him as one of the greatest batsmen to lay willow on leather, those who didn't write him off.

[Gingerfinch]

Didn't he also do well in world series cricket? I read that he would often get bored whilst batting and get out with a lazy shot. Not ideal for test match cricket, though he would have faced superior bowling attacks, therefore relieving the boredom.

[The Waugh Twins]

Gayle in, no Garner. A young persons team,me thinks.

Nail on the head there Gingerfinch. As we all get older we forget that some of the present crop of commentators probably never even saw the Windies of the 80's bowl. Just to watch them on U-tube these days you have to be over the age of 18.

[The Waugh Twins]

Richards is an interesting player. Pretty much anyone who saw him play ranks him as one of the greatest batsmen to lay willow on leather, those who didn't write him off.

He handed me a ball in the indoor nets at the old TCA ground in Hobart back in the early 80's to bowl to Gardner. I only got to bowl one because there were so many kids running to get the balls. I think I was 19 and felt I should just let the kids bowl, and I reckon Viv saw that and turned to me and said "go on man, have a bowl". Gradner slap it into the net, but it would have gone for six.

The Windies were always the team everyone wanted to watch, and they made you want them to win.

How many teams today would let you into the nets to bowl at them?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Very charismatic team. And not a lot of sledging.

You were bowling to Garner? Or was there someone called Gardner?

[backfootpunch]

my XI

amla (average of 55 and 19 hundreds in 106 innings is unparalleled)
tendulkar
ponting
sir viv
bevan
Dhoni (wk)
lance klusener
wasim akram
brett lee
shane warne
joel garner

[dan08]

AB de Villiers would have to be in - easily one of the best ever ODI batsmen. Average of 52.93, strike rate of 98.19!

[rich1uk]

AB de Villiers would have to be in - easily one of the best ever ODI batsmen. Average of 52.93, strike rate of 98.19!

for me he is one of the three no-brainers alongside Richards and Garner