Alternative World Cricket XIs (Part 2)

I'll have none of your T20 stuff

As mentioned previously, the team over at espnCricinfo have been working for well over a year to name the all time greatest world cricket team as selected by a panel of cricketing experts. (The panel is made up by former Test captains from all the major cricketing nations, along with a number of cricketing historians and top notch writers.)

A number of alternative teams – each centred around a specific theme – were released in the run up to the big announcement. I posted about three of them already and now I am listing four more.

Yes things are indeed that exciting.

For your money (and your life) by David Frith, cricket writer and historian
David Frith has selected a Play-for-your-life XI who'll "do you proud when it's a choice between not losing and heading to the gas chamber." Eh ok... Spose if Bill Shankly had chosen cricket instead of football as his game he would prove the ideal manager of this lot. Onions' inclusion is a touch bewildering, a little funny and overwhelmingly topical. Injury has stopped him going Down Under.

Nice guys finish first by Ramachandra Guha, writer of cricket history among other things
Ramachandra Guha's Gentlemen XI are those cricketers "who'd break your spirit and shake your hand." Interesting choices here. Note that Guha says that the likes of Adam Gilchrist "stand out because of the contrast between them and their colleagues." Cutting.

On the other hand by Mike Selvey, former Test player, now a cricket writer
Mike Selvey's Lefties XI does not refer to the political ideology of the team (I spose). In a game with lots of right handers it is interesting to see the number of high quality southpaws who have made their mark on the game. Were it not for a slight weakness in the bowling department, this team would win any game against any other.

Over their dead bodies by Peter Roebuck, former player, now a cricket columnist
Peter Roebuck's has gone for a Stodgy XI made up of "slowpokes who will test the patience of the fiercest opponents and the tolerance of the most obdurate viewers." Interesting stuff – maybe the like of Jacques Kallis will forever continue to slip through all of these imagined teams for being either too good (as is the case in this team) or not good enough (as is the case for the World Eleven which was finally chosen).

Play-for-your-life XI	Gentlemen XI	Lefties XI	Stodgy XI
Geoffrey Boycott	Jack Hobbs	Matthew Hayden	Glenn Turner
Bill Ponsford	Victor Trumper	Justin Langer	Geoff Boycott
Don Bradman	George Headley	Graeme Pollock	Herbert Sutcliffe
Ken Barrington	Vijay Hazare	Brian Lara	Bill Woodfull
Sachin Tendulkar	Garry Sobers	Clive Lloyd	Douglas Jardine
Shivnarine Chanderpaul	Keith Miller	Garry Sobers	Ken Mackay
Trevor Bailey	Adam Gilchrist	Adam Gilchrist	Jack Russell
Ken Mackay	Anil Kumble	Wasim Akram	Trevor Goddard
Jack Russell	Derek Underwood	Alan Davidson	Bapu Nadkarni
Graham Onions	Curtly Ambrose	Bishan Bedi	Charlie "Terror" Turner
Danny Morrison	Lance Gibbs	Johnny Wardle	Glenn McGrath

For more info on all of these teams check out cricinfo's specialised page for the World XI.