Here's a team picked by a couple of the Wisden people and Graham Thorpe

https://wisden.com/stories/1990s-in-review/wisdens-test-team-of-the-1990s?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR15HqjauCX5qWN0Gsa3-ElGVQvAdXIt1vFERaVh8ueHrFPAf8mtLzn1cf0#Echobox=1606058278

what do people think about it?
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On Sun, 22 Nov 2020 21:34:39 -0800 (PST), Hamish Laws wrote:

Here's a team picked by a couple of the Wisden people and Graham Thorpe

https://wisden.com/stories/1990s-in-review/wisdens-test-team-of-the-1990s?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR15HqjauCX5qWN0Gsa3-ElGVQvAdXIt1vFERaVh8ueHrFPAf8mtLzn1cf0#Echobox=1606058278

what do people think about it?

Not a lot. To paraphrase, "Best of Teams are like arseholes..."


alvey
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In message <b523074d-93c8-4cd5-bd74-608c875b4eb6n@googlegroups.com>,
Hamish Laws <hamish.laws@gmail.com> writes

Here's a team picked by a couple of the Wisden people and Graham Thorpe

https://wisden.com/stories/1990s-in-review/wisdens-test-team-of-the-1990 >s?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR15HqjauCX5qWN0Gsa3-El >GVQvAdXIt1vFERaVh8ueHrFPAf8mtLzn1cf0#Echobox=1606058278

what do people think about it?

It's obviously a pretty good side. The most difficult thing for me is remembering candidates' years for their Test careers and when they were
at their peak.

Though I was a big fan of Stewart, he's perhaps slightly fortunate to be chosen ahead of, say, Haydon. I wonder if the absence of any English
players if he wasn't chosen was a factor. And I nearly forgot about
Gooch! Was it a bit early for Dravid? Otherwise he'd come in for de
Silva. (Though they may have tried to pick players from as many
countries as possible. Of the Test countries at that time, only NZ and Zimbabwe lack a representative in their side.)

You could make a case for Jack Russell instead of Healy as keeper. Was
it a bit too early to have Gilchrist at his peak? What about Andy
Flower?

I was wondering about having either Glenn McGrath or Waqar Younis
instead of Pollock. There's no finger-spinner should the pitch require
one, but I don't recall any from that period other than Murali who might demand inclusion.
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon
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On Monday, November 23, 2020 at 9:41:23 PM UTC+11, John Hall wrote:

In message <b523074d-93c8-4cd5...@googlegroups.com>,
Hamish Laws <hamis...@gmail.com> writes

Here's a team picked by a couple of the Wisden people and Graham Thorpe

https://wisden.com/stories/1990s-in-review/wisdens-test-team-of-the-1990 >s?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR15HqjauCX5qWN0Gsa3-El >GVQvAdXIt1vFERaVh8ueHrFPAf8mtLzn1cf0#Echobox=1606058278

what do people think about it?

It's obviously a pretty good side. The most difficult thing for me is remembering candidates' years for their Test careers and when they were
at their peak.

Though I was a big fan of Stewart, he's perhaps slightly fortunate to be chosen ahead of, say, Haydon.

Hayden's record in the 90s was pretty disappointing , he played 7 tests with 1 100 iirc
Slater would probably have been the Australian opener in contention, but his meltdown started in the 90s iirc

I wonder if the absence of any English
players if he wasn't chosen was a factor. And I nearly forgot about
Gooch!

Worth considering, his best play was probably in the early 90s and he fell away badly in his last couple of series but he still averaged over 51 for the decade

Was it a bit early for Dravid?

Debut in 96, 6 100s in the decade

Otherwise he'd come in for de
Silva. (Though they may have tried to pick players from as many
countries as possible. Of the Test countries at that time, only NZ and Zimbabwe lack a representative in their side.)

You could make a case for Jack Russell instead of Healy as keeper. Was
it a bit too early to have Gilchrist at his peak?

Didn't debut in tests until the 99/00 season

What about Andy Flower?

has a case, not sure that his keeping was that good but I haven't seen a lot of him

I was wondering about having either Glenn McGrath or Waqar Younis
instead of Pollock.

I'd be tempted to, I always got the impression that McGrath was a bit more incisive as a bowler than Pollock
Saying that a lot of the difference is probably down to Pollock's relative lack of success against Australia (av 36, sr 80+) which McGrath didn't have to bowl to

OTOH there's no question that Pollock was a lot better batsman

There's no finger-spinner should the pitch require
one, but I don't recall any from that period other than Murali who might demand inclusion.

Nobody else really screams out to me, Tim May had a few good matches but overall was nothing special
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On Monday, November 23, 2020 at 9:34:41 AM UTC+4, Hamish Laws wrote:

Here's a team picked by a couple of the Wisden people and Graham Thorpe

https://wisden.com/stories/1990s-in-review/wisdens-test-team-of-the-1990s?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR15HqjauCX5qWN0Gsa3-ElGVQvAdXIt1vFERaVh8ueHrFPAf8mtLzn1cf0#Echobox=1606058278

what do people think about it?

Stats aren't everything and all that, yes, but as a frontline batter you average under 40 in 8 of the 10 countries you play in, you shouldn't be in a team of the decade unless the other choices are all rotten. As a much more dependable batter with a CV that only has a bouncy pitch hole, I'd have picked Inzamam over de Silva in the middle-order and pushed S Waugh one position lower. Thorpe himself was a very decent middle-order batter and well worth a look-in.
I also would've chosen Donald since he was a lot better in the 90s wherever he played. Pollock would anyway have been #4 in my list behind McGrath and Waqar.
Although his average fell away when with the mitts, I'd have Andy Flower 'keep and open instead of Stewart, and pick Mark Waugh, who scored lots of very graceful runs in the lower middle-order, instead of Healy. Whether these would (a) reduce Warne's efficacy and (b) have one batsman too many are arguable.
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On Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 2:15:09 PM UTC+11, Ramapriya D wrote:

On Monday, November 23, 2020 at 9:34:41 AM UTC+4, Hamish Laws wrote:

Here's a team picked by a couple of the Wisden people and Graham Thorpe

https://wisden.com/stories/1990s-in-review/wisdens-test-team-of-the-1990s?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR15HqjauCX5qWN0Gsa3-ElGVQvAdXIt1vFERaVh8ueHrFPAf8mtLzn1cf0#Echobox=1606058278

what do people think about it?

Stats aren't everything and all that, yes, but as a frontline batter you average under 40 in 8 of the 10 countries you play in, you shouldn't be in a team of the decade unless the other choices are all rotten. As a much more dependable batter with a CV that only has a bouncy pitch hole, I'd have picked Inzamam over de Silva in the middle-order and pushed S Waugh one position lower. Thorpe himself was a very decent middle-order batter and well worth a look-in.

I also would've chosen Donald since he was a lot better in the 90s wherever he played. Pollock would anyway have been #4 in my list behind McGrath and Waqar.

Dunno, Donald, Amrose and Akram as the 3 quicks is all strike bowlers.

Although his average fell away when with the mitts, I'd have Andy Flower 'keep and open

Flower actually averages higher as a keeper than not as a keeper
But he never opened the batting, he averaged 16 at #3 and 27 at 4 so I don't see picking him as an opener as a real option even apart from the dubiousness of having somebody keep and open.

instead of Stewart, and pick Mark Waugh, who scored lots of very graceful runs in the lower middle-order, instead of Healy. Whether these would (a) reduce Warne's efficacy and (b) have one batsman too many are arguable.

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On 23/11/2020 4:34 pm, Hamish Laws wrote:

Here's a team picked by a couple of the Wisden people and Graham Thorpe

https://wisden.com/stories/1990s-in-review/wisdens-test-team-of-the-1990s?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR15HqjauCX5qWN0Gsa3-ElGVQvAdXIt1vFERaVh8ueHrFPAf8mtLzn1cf0#Echobox=1606058278

what do people think about it?

An excellent team but is is so hard to pick the best. Is this the best
team for every country and and all conditions?
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In message <4ZGdnTPDkLqM-yDCnZ2dnUU7-NmdnZ2d@westnet.com.au>, Dechucka <Dechucka1@hotmail.com> writes

On 23/11/2020 4:34 pm, Hamish Laws wrote:

Here's a team picked by a couple of the Wisden people and Graham Thorpe

https://wisden.com/stories/1990s-in-review/wisdens-test-team-of-the-199 >>0s?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR15HqjauCX5qWN0Gsa3- >>ElGVQvAdXIt1vFERaVh8ueHrFPAf8mtLzn1cf0#Echobox=1606058278
what do people think about it?

An excellent team but is is so hard to pick the best. Is this the best
team for every country and and all conditions?

Every "best XI" has to be a compromise on that score, I think. For
instance on a "traditional" Indian pitch you'd want a second spinner in
place of one of the quicks.
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
* Origin: SportNet Gateway Site (24:150/2)

On 25/11/2020 7:52 am, John Hall wrote:

In message <4ZGdnTPDkLqM-yDCnZ2dnUU7-NmdnZ2d@westnet.com.au>, Dechucka <Dechucka1@hotmail.com> writes

On 23/11/2020 4:34 pm, Hamish Laws wrote:

Here's a team picked by a couple of the Wisden people and Graham Thorpe

https://wisden.com/stories/1990s-in-review/wisdens-test-team-of-the-199
0s?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR15HqjauCX5qWN0Gsa3-
ElGVQvAdXIt1vFERaVh8ueHrFPAf8mtLzn1cf0#Echobox=1606058278
-awhat do people think about it?

An excellent team but is is so hard to pick the best. Is this the best
team for every country and and all conditions?

Every "best XI" has to be a compromise on that score, I think.

Agree but it is an interesting exercise

For
instance on a "traditional" Indian pitch you'd want a second spinner in place of one of the quicks.

Same for an old Sydney pitch
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