Australian Test Team Of The Decade

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gbatman

gbatman

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Australian Test Team Of The Decade

Who is your Australian Test team of the decade?

Here's mine:

1. Hayden
2. Langer
3. Ponting
4. S. Waugh
5. M. Waugh
6. Clarke
7. Gilchrist
8. Lee
9. Warne
10. Gillespie
11. McGrath
12. McGill

Unlucky:
Hussey
McGill
Lehmann
Katich
Martyn
Symonds
Watson
Clark
Fleming
Miller
Johnson
Bichel
 
re: Australian Test Team Of The Decade

1. Hayden
2. Langer
3. Ponting
4. Martyn
5. S. Waugh
6. Lehman
7. Gilchrist
8. Warne
9. Lee
10. Gillespie
11. McGrath

12th man: McGill
 
re: Australian Test Team Of The Decade

Which decade - 2000-2010?

Test or one day?

gandalf's test team of the decade

1. Hayden
2. Katich
3. Ponting
4. M. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. Gilchrist
7. Johnson
8. Warne
9. Lee
10. S. Clark
11. McGrath

twelfth man - Stuart Macgill

Some clarification of the term "team of the decade" is required:
This is a team of the best players (IMO) of the 2000s - not great players who had passed their prime by the 2000s - such as the Waugh brothers. It takes into account how long they played in the 2000s, and the quality of their game during the 2000s.

Worthy mentions not quite making the cut:

- Langer - prefer Katich
- Gillespie - played only until 2005 and had clearly fell away by then - also extremely injury prone
- Symonds - exciting run while it lasted, but just too short a career
- Martyn - fantastic player - but just no room in the middle order behind Clarke and Mr Cricket
 
Re: Australian Test Team Of The Decade

gandalf;385456 said:
Which decade - 2000-2010?

Test or one day?

gandalf's test team of the decade

1. Hayden
2. Katich
3. Ponting
4. M. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. Gilchrist
7. Johnson
8. Warne
9. Lee
10. S. Clark
11. McGrath

twelfth man - Stuart Macgill

Some clarification of the term "team of the decade" is required:
This is a team of the best players (IMO) of the 2000s - not great players who had passed their prime by the 2000s - such as the Waugh brothers. It takes into account how long they played in the 2000s, and the quality of their game during the 2000s.

Worthy mentions not quite making the cut:

- Langer - prefer Katich
- Gillespie - played only until 2005 and had clearly fell away by then - also extremely injury prone
- Symonds - exciting run while it lasted, but just too short a career
- Martyn - fantastic player - but just no room in the middle order behind Clarke and Mr Cricket
Click to expand...

I agree there, although it is painful to emit some of those other players, these players are the best of just this decade. I would maybe put in Gillespie for Johnson though, even though Gillespie played until 2005, Johnson has only played since 2007/08, and Gillespie was much more incisive the the ball than him stats wise, and IMO performance wise. Then that would leave too many bowlers, so perhaps Stuart Clark would have to become 12th man. He is an absolutely outstanding bowler, but of only something like 15 Tests (correct me if I'm wrong, too lazy to find the actual amount) Perhaps it is not enough to play him over someone with 40 Tests behind them.
 
Re: Australian Test Team Of The Decade

Just wanted a team with the best balance I could think of, a team that could deal with any issues presented.

1. Hayden: picks himself
2. Katich: prefer him as a player to Langer. Had he been able to bat through the 90s this summer his record would look about as good as Langer's anyway (14 centuries from 48 tests). Like at least one opener to hang around for a while even if the runs dont always flow.
3. Ponting: picks himself
4. Hussey: just ahead of Martyn because he has a much better record. Yes he was best at 6 but he is getting older and probably would have been as good at 4 had he played then in his prime. Martyn was as good in Sri Lanka and India as he was bad during 2005 ashes and finished his career poorly.
5. S Waugh (c): perfect at 5 because he always seemed to absorb the pressure of top order failures (if they occured). Tactically he doesn't seem any better than Ponting but he strikes me as a more mature and composed leader.
6. Watson: a complete joke based on games played I know, but I am just so impressed by the cricketer Watson has become.
7. Gilchrist: picks himself
8. Johnson: adds variety as left armer, first change bowler who I like as the loose- cannon type wicket taker.
9. Warne: picks himself. Can he be selected as captain? He is the one that you'd want making the tactical decisions.
10. Gillespie: reasonably quick, very tall and hit the pitch hard. When bowling well and free of injury there never seemed to be much between him and McGrath.
11. McGrath: picks himself


Batting notes:

Number 4 spot is a really hard one to call and I don't know about Martyn. Mark Waugh wasn't brilliant in his last few years and Hussey was prolific when he was at 6 (not 4). Think the rest is pretty settled, Langer - Katich can go either way.

Bowling notes:

I actually found the second and third fast bowling spots difficult to fill. Selecting Gillespie could go against my performing during the key moments criteria but by the 2005 Ashes he was simply finished. I never liked Brett Lee and felt that he tended to go missing during the really big moments in his career. Gillespie and McGrath were tight bowlers meaning that Johnson could just let loose (even when he is horrible he takes wickets, he probably wouldn't bowl too many overs each innings so it would be perfect for him). Watson is also important here as he can tie down an end and uses the older ball very well.
 
Re: Australian Test Team Of The Decade

Waugh brothers were a spent force after about 2001, not sure if they'd be in a team of the decade.

Here is mine.

Langer
Hayden
Ponting (c)
Martyn
Clarke
Hussey
Gilchrist
Warne
Johnson
Clark
McGrath
 
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