XI challenge

[The Professor]

Here's the challenge - nicked from our footballing cousins....it takes a lot longer than you would think so might fill the hours of lock down.

You have to pick your Test, ODI and T20 XI however no two players in each of the XIs can have played in any team together - national,domestic franchise - in any format. So this means that if you pick Kohli in your Test XI you can then pick no other RCB player.

They also have to of played in your lifetime.

Bit of fun and deeply annoying. 'Will try and figure out my Test XI today. Suspect T20 will be hardest.

[Durhamfootman]

I think you might be right

[The Professor]

In what respect?

[The Professor]

Asia Xis and Icc Xis are proving difficult to get around.....I'm going with it though.

Already ruled Muralitharan out as I want Tendulkar.

[GGAS]

Just did the football one on the football thread. This one will require more thought though... Bloody IPL mercenaries!

[The Professor]

Just did the football one on the football thread. This one will require more thought though... Bloody IPL mercenaries!

Took me 2 and a half hours to do the football one.

It's actually weird to see the teams that are stopping me.

Wanted Kallis but already have a Glamorgan player.......bloody Glamorgan!

And then Queensland gives me the Sophie's choice of Viv Richards or Botham.

Mumbai Indians is also proving an issue.

[Durhamfootman]

In what respect?

that T20 will prove to be the hardest. They all play for so many different franchises

[The Professor]

Only got players 2,3,7 8, 10 and 11 and already used:

India
West Indies
Pakistan
New Zealand
England
Australia

Hampshire
Notts
Yorkshire
Glamorgan
Somerset
Sussex
Worcestershire
Middlesex

New South Wales
Queensland
Tasmania
Victoria

Mumbai Indians
Melbourne Stars
Rajasthan Royals

Asia XI
MCC
ROW XI
ICC XI

[Gingerfinch]

I'm not up on franchises so will do a team pretty much pre T20

[GGAS]

First one to find a clash in this test team wins....

Gary Kirsten (SA)
Rahmat Shah (Afg)
Kane WIlliamson (NZ)
Virat Kohli (Ind)
Steve Waugh (Aus)
Ben Stokes (Eng)
Andy Flower (Zim)
Mashrafe Mortaza (Ban)
Rangana Herath (SL)
Curtley Ambrose (WI)
Mohammad Abbas (Pak)

[Gingerfinch]

Gavasker
Haynes
mahmudullah
De - Silva
A Flower
Kallis
Botham
Hadlee
Akram
Rashid Khan
Lillee

Hopefully within the rules?

[sussexpob]

Hopefully within the rules?

Haha, sorry ginger to rain on your parade.

Desmond Haynes shares two clubs with Jacques Kallis. Both played for Middlesex, and I would guess they played together when Haynes retired in Western Province around the time Kallis got his test debut.

Gavaskar and Beefy played together in the early 80s at Somerset

Lille and Hadlee have both played for the same Aussie club, think both played at different times for Tasmania, although Lille was incredibly old when he went there.

[sussexpob]

First one to find a clash in this test team wins....

The only clash I can think of maybe doesn't count..... but Kirsten was coach of RCB with Kohli as his captain.

[Gingerfinch]

Hopefully within the rules?

Haha, sorry ginger to rain on your parade.

Desmond Haynes shares two clubs with Jacques Kallis. Both played for Middlesex, and I would guess they played together when Haynes retired in Western Province around the time Kallis got his test debut.

Gavaskar and Beefy played together in the early 80s at Somerset

Lille and Hadlee have both played for the same Aussie club, think both played at different times for Tasmania, although Lille was incredibly old when he went there.

Haynes and Kallis, I should have known

In that case, I give up!

[The Professor]

Took me A LOT longer than I thought but here we go:

TEST TEAM

Mohammad Shahzad - (Afghanistan, Band-e-Amir Dragons, Boost Defenders, Chittagong Vikings, Habib Bank Limited, Kabul Eagles, Paktia Panthers, Peshawar Zalmi, Rangpur Rangers, Rangpur Riders, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, Speen Ghar Tigers)

Sachin Tendulkar (India, Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, Yorkshire, Asia XI)

3. Viv Richards (West Indies, Central Islands, Glamorgan, Leeward Islands, Queensland, Somerset)

4. Hashim Amla (South Africa, Barbados Tridents, Cape Cobras, Derbyshire, Dolphins, Essex, Khulna Tigers, Kings XI Punjab, Kwa Zulu Natal Inland, South Africa XI, Trinbago Knight Riders, Word XI)

5. Habibul Bashar (Bangladesh, Biman Bangladesh, Dhaka Warriors, Khulna Division)

6. Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka, Auckland, Kent, Nondescripts)

7. Imran Khan (Pakistan, Dawood Club, Lahore, New South Wales, Oxford University, Pakistan International Airlines, Sussex, Worcestershire)

8. Richard Hadlee (New Zealand, Canterbury, MCC, New Zealand XI, Nottinghamshire, Tasmania.)

9. Henry Olonga (Zimbabwe, Mashonaland, Matebaland.)

10. Phil Tuffnell (England, Middlesex)

11. Shane Warner (Australia, Hampshire, ICC XI, Melbourne Stars, Rajasthan Royals. Rest of the World XI, Victoria.)

Was very surprised about the amount of very talented players I had to make big choices about and the clubs that precluded me from selecting them.

The nearly men

Without a doubt my biggest issue came from the first name on my list. I knew I wanted Sachin come hell or high water. However my mettle was really tested when it came to his involvement with an Asia Xi. This ruled out one of my all time favourite players in the form of Muttiah Muralitharan as well as Kumar Sangakarra, Tamim Iqbal, Masharafe Mortaza and Abdur Razzak. Sanga, Iqbal and Razzak were big losses when I was looking for an opening batsman and a final bowler. Shaun Pollock was also ruled out by Sachin thanks to his time with Mumbai Indians.

After Sachin had been put down the next man on my list was Viv Richards - this caused me some problems further down the line. His time at Glamorgan meant that Dale Steyn and Jaques Kallis were not eligible whilst, slightly more gallingly, Botham was out of the picture due to his spell at Queensland.

My selection of an Australian Hampshire alumni also put the spanner in the works of some high-profile Englishmen. Shane Warne was a must – but his inclusion ruled out Gower’s position at the top of the order and Kevin Pietersen’s inclusion in the middle order. Such was my desperation for bowlers I also toyed with Alan Mullaly at one point – a lucky miss possibly.

Richard Hadlee's time at Nottinghamshire precluded me form picking Swann whilst his foray with the MCC stopped me from selecting Cook and Andy Flower. Cook was a big loss but needed a world class all-rounder to stop the middle order from looking weak.

Unsurprisingly Hahim Amla's plethora of clubs held me back quite a bit. Shakib Al Hasan was ruled out due to their time at Barbados tridents whilst my ongoing search for a Zimbabwean player was extended thanks to Tatenda Taibu's spell at the Cape Cobras.

Worcestershire also proved a sticking point after Imran Khan’s selection. Alan Donald and Heath Streak were both nearly men but were pipped to the post by the great Pakistan bowler.