CMS Test XI of last 50 Years- Number 3.

[Durhamfootman]

I don't think that of Lara

what I see with Lara is a bloke pretty much holding his team together. If there was any element of selfishness, it was probably that he actually got old enough to have to retire, simultaneously dropping the hopes of the whole of the caribbean in the sh1t

[Gingerfinch]

Tendulkar was of course a great player, but possibly the most overrated Cricketer of all time. Saying that, I may still vote for him!

[Gingerfinch]

Unselfishness is one reason why Ponting was so good. Came in and batted for the team from the off.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Lara was a great player but I never warmed to him. Always seemed to be a player who looked after himself before the team.

Lara almost was the team. His great epic at Bridgetown v Australia isn't remembered in terms of a great win for WI, but a win for Lara. He had the biggest percentage of a team's runs of any player in a series, in SL.

If you're going for, say, SRT, Kallis, G Chappell, S Waugh, Border, et al as your 4&5, Lara needs consideration at three.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Got to be good to score 500 v Durham.

[Durhamfootman]

or 400 v England

[Gingerfinch]

And take on and beat Murali, in Sri-Lanka.

[Durhamfootman]

Richards scored his runs as part of the best team in the world.... fine player.... iconic player.... but the hardest thing about being number 3 in that team was the danger that the opposition didn't score enough runs to let you bat twice in a match

[Durhamfootman]

Lara had to cope with the pressure of having to score, all the time...... where an early dismissal was likely to be catastrophic for the team

[Durhamfootman]

magnificent player, Lara

[Arthur Crabtree]

And a glamorous batter. An improviser and a soloist. Viv was more of a combatant, a gladiator.

[Durhamfootman]

best batsman since the Don

[Arthur Crabtree]

Lara did play when WI were strong by the way. There were two phases to his career.

[Gingerfinch]

His 277 at Sydney was according to those who saw it, a real great innings.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Probably against a good attack I expect.