An online poll by the ICC’s website has revealed the greatest test XI in history – according to those who voted, that is. Looking at the list, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the vast majority of respondents come from India. The team is:
Virender Sehwag
Sunil Gavaskar
Donald Bradman
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara
Kapil Dev
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Shane Warne
Wasim Akram
Curtly Ambrose
Glenn McGrath.
Hmm. Sehwag is a terrific player – but better than Hobbs or Boycott? Was Kapil Dev a superior all-rounder to Garry Sobers? And why no place for Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall or Ricky Ponting?
Any list chosen by us, the punters, will always throw up stupid results. I remember Channel 4’s ‘Music of the Millennium’ poll in 1999, in which Robbie Williams was ranked ahead of Mozart in the ‘most influential’ category. But even so, I think we can do a little better than this.
So come on chaps, let’s have it – your greatest test team of all time. Who’s missing from the XI above – and who shouldn’t really be there?
Richards instead of Sehwag.
Sobers instead of Dev.
Murali instead of Ambrose.
I’m just surprised that the “east or west – INDIA DA BEST” gang that clearly dominated the voting didn’t include Ajit Agarkar and Kiran More ….
The India bias is like reading the comments sections on Cricinfo articles!
However for comments about bias in an article check this one out on TMS
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adammountford/2011/07/the_greatest_tests.html
to be fair to TMS, it is part of the British Broadcasting Corporation and it’s main audience is the British.
JGM here. Kapil Dev at 6?! Ha. Although he was a great player, he was probably the worst of the four great all-rounders that played in the 1980s. I’d rank Imran Khan, Botham and Hadlee above him every time. I think the stats would support this too (although I could be wrong).
Bradmans finesse was not close…not even close to G Pollock, Barry Richards , Tendulkar etc.
Could not really handle spin.
Look at his style youself.
Ausies are biased…..one eyed guys.