Picking a 1980s Greatest Test Cricket XI
The 1980s was a golden age for cricket, with many players who are now considered legends plying their trade and doing battle with one another.
While the era was primarily dominated by the great West Indies team, plenty of other stars were produced by other countries.
But were they good enough to be selected for the Greatest 1980s Test Cricket XI? Read on and find out.
Please note, this is a fully functioning team with batsmen, wicketkeeper, captain and a balanced bowling attack. Also, the statistics listed in each player's profile are purely from their performances in the '80s.
1. Desmond Haynes
1 of 12
Tests played: 84
Runs: 5083 at 41.32
50s/100s: 12/28
Who better to open the batting for this team than Desmond Haynes, one half of, perhaps, the greatest opening partnership in the history of cricket?
While it was Gordon Greenidge (see next slide) who tended to catch the eye more, Haynes, was as solid as a rock and scored over 16,000 international runs across all formats during his career.
The bulk of which were earned during the '80s where only five players managed to score more runs than the Barbadian during this decade.
Known for his crisp driving and impeccable concentration, Haynes would also captain the West Indies briefly towards the end of the decade.
2. Gordon Greenidge
2 of 12
Tests played: 77
Runs: 5103 at 45.97
50s/100s: 12/25
Gordon Greenidge was the highest scoring opener of the 1980s registering 20 more runs than his regular opening partner, Desmond Haynes, despite playing 16 less innings.
Whereas Haynes was a slightly more pragmatic player, Greenidge dealt in power and possessed one of cricket's most destructive square cuts.
During the West Indies 1984 tour of England, the Barbadian reached peak form to score two double tons, the first of which was instrumental in his country recording the highest ever run chase in a Test at Lord's.
Between them, Greenidge and Haynes produced 16 opening stands of a century or more, four of which were over 200.
3. Allan Border
3 of 12
Tests played: 99
Runs: 7386 at 55.11
50s/100s: 20/40
The sight of the stubborn Allan Border marching to the wicket must have given many opposition bowlers nightmares during the 1980s (and most of the '90s for that matter).
Never the most elaborate batsman, the left-hander scored more runs, centuries and half-centuries than anyone else over the decade.
True, the stubborn left-hander played more matches than anyone else, too, but maintaining an average of over 55 for more than 10 years is an incredible feat.
Especially when considering the Aussies struggled for large parts of that era and Border shouldered the responsibility of captaincy after taking over from Kim Hughes in 1984.
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4. David Gower
4 of 12
Tests played: 90
Runs: 6196 at 42.43
50s/100s: 12/32
David Gower was renowned for elegant stroke play throughout his career, and the left-hander was in his pomp during the 1980s.
Second only to Allan Border in terms of volume of runs, the "silver fox" was the mainstay of a volatile England line-up and also captained his country over two separate periods.
As well as scoring runs, of course, Gower found time to court controversy when he declined to play in the 1987 World Cup and prematurely left a press conference claiming he had tickets for the theatre.
But high jinks aside, the sheer weight of runs—over 2,000 more than the next English batsman—and his easy-on-the-eye style of play earns the Tunbridge Wells born stroke-maker a spot in this side.
5. Javed Miandad
5 of 12
Tests played: 77
Runs: 5642 at 54.77
50s/100s: 16/26
Few players average north of 50 over their career but Javed Miandad managed this and then some, with the bulk of the damage being done in the 1980s.
The prolific Pakistani batsman enjoyed playing long innings, as evidenced by registering three of the top-four highest scores of the decade and chalking up five double centuries in that period also.
In terms of technique, however, his two centuries in consecutive Test matches in the West Indies against a ferocious attack were perhaps his peak.
Becoming the youngest ever captain of Pakistan at the age of just 22 years old, Miandad was also named a Wisden cricketer of the year in 1982.
6. Ian Botham
6 of 12
Tests played: 75
Runs: 4051 at 33.75
Wickets: 258 at 32.39
Catches: 79
Even in a side full of personalities, Ian Botham would stand out and use his all-round skills to be the talisman of the team.
While his individual averages aren't spectacular, they don't always tell the true story of this high-impact player.
And not much more needs to be said about "Botham's Test," the 1981 Ashes clash at Headingley where Beefy almost single-handedly dragged England back from the dead to beat the Aussies.
Throw in his safe pair of hands at first slip and reputation for playing just as hard off the pitch and Botham would be welcome in this team.
7. Jeff Dujon (WK)
7 of 12
Tests played: 65
Runs: 2885 at 36.06
Dismissals: 206 (201 catches/five stumpings)
Keeping wicket in Test cricket is hard enough at the best of times, but imagine being behind the stumps to a phalanx of the fastest bowlers ever assembled.
That is exactly what Jeff Dujon did for the West Indies throughout the '80s, and the sight of the diminutive glovesman leaping through the air to stop one of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding or Joel Garner's wayward rockets, was always memorable.
The Jamaican made 206 dismissals, 60 more than the next closest competitor, and currently sits at sixth in the all-time table.
Additionally, playing in an era when wicketkeepers were often pure keepers and not wicketkeeper-batsmen as they are today, Dujon contributed nearly 3,000 runs and five centuries to his country's cause.
8. Imran Khan (C)
8 of 12
Tests played: 55
Runs: 2430 at 44.18
Wickets: 256 at 19.12
A quick glance at Imran Khan's incredible statistics in the 1980s suggest he could actually bat much higher than the No. 8 position he's occupying in this team.
But the lower position in the order would help him concentrate on the captaincy and save some energy for coming on to bowl first chance.
In just 55 Tests, Khan picked up 18 five wicket hauls and almost single-handedly helped put the in-swinging yorker on the cricket map.
These days, the Lahore-born all-rounder is involved in the world of Pakistan politics, and he would need all of his communication skills to keep some of the egos in this all-star XI in check.
9. Richard Hadlee
9 of 12
Tests played: 53
Runs: 2040 at 30.90
Wickets: 289 at 19.28
New Zealand's greatest ever player, Richard Hadlee, was at his zenith during the 1980s and helped his country claim their first ever series wins in Australia and England.
From just 91 innings of bowling in the decade, the Christchurch-born ace collected 28 five-wicket hauls and seven 10-wicket matches, considerably more than any of his rivals.
As evidenced by his crucial 151 not out against Sri Lanka, which helped to save a Test, Hadlee was a genuine all-rounder and would make this batting line-up ridiculously deep.
For this team, however, his prime focus would be the ball, and the Kiwi would form one half of a potentially devastating new ball partnership.
10. Abdul Qadir
10 of 12
Tests played: 57
Wickets: 216 at 32.31
Pace bowling dominated the 1980s with the likes of Australia and the West Indies boasting a never-ending production line of intimidating fast bowlers.
However, a handful of spinners, including Pakistan's Abdul Qadir, managed to keep the art form alive.
While contemporaries such as Iqbal Qasim and Tauseef Ahmed returned better overall averages, neither claimed as many wickets nor provided the sheer theatre that Qadir did when he bowled.
The leg-spinner's beguiling action was something to behold, and it often dazzled batsmen, such as England's, when he took nine for 56 at Lahore in November, 1987.
11. Malcolm Marshall
11 of 12
Tests played: 65
Wickets: 323 at 19.91
Comfortably the leading wicket-taker of the decade, Malcolm Marshall would combine with Richard Hadlee, Ian Botham and Imran Khan to make a sensational pace quartet.
Marshall, the third Barbadian to make this team, possessed all of the weapons in the fast bowler's armoury and certainly used them to good effect in the 1980s.
Nobody comes close to his wicket total or his sensational strike rate of 44.5, or in layman's terms, a wicket just under every seven and a half overs.
In fact, some would say that Marshall, who sadly died at the age of 41 in 1999, was the greatest fast bowler of all-time, and his career Test average of 20.94 is the lowest of any bowler in the modern era.
12th Man
12 of 12
Of course, a host of incredible players narrowly missed out on a starting place for this side but they will have to battle it out for the 12th man role.
Kapil Dev: The talented Indian all-rounder claimed 272 Test wickets in the 1980s and also chipped in with 3350 runs at just over 30.
Viv Richards: Many will be surprised that the original Master Blaster doesn't make the team but, based on their stats in the decade, who do you leave out?! Richards scored over 5,000 runs at an average just under 50.
Dennis Lillee: The Australian finished his Test career in 1984 but still found time to take 171 wickets at an average of 24.12 in the decade.
*All statistics supplied by ESPNcricinfo unless specified
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