The All Stars Team- A Way to Retain Interest In Test Cricket?

2005 saw one of the most highly anticipated cricketing events of all time, the ICC Super Series. While the tournament itself turned out to be one sided, the Australians winning all three one dayers, as well as the Super Test, the advent of T20 cricket has got me wondering, whether an “all-Stars” event might spice up the Test stage a bit.

In ’05 the World Eleven were nothing more than a farce if you ask me. The team comprised of players too old to play, or with pathetic records against Australia.

Lara has always struggled in Australia, with a Test average of about 40. Kallis has averaged around 30 against them throughout his career. The Australians have always been successful against Dravid, especially after the 2003-04 series where the Karnataka batsman scored over 600 runs at their expense.

On a flat Melbourne wicket, on which the rains strategically fell when the Aussies were bowling, only Sehwag managed any inning of substance.

Not surprising considering he is exactly the type of batsman the Australians hate.

Flamboyant, arrogant, and a total lack of care for any strategy and plan.

He himself doesn’t know what he will do next, so how can the opponents!

The bowling, too, lacked spine, with the attack on display looking like a T20 line-up rather than one for Test match cricket!

Too many all-rounders in Vettori, Flintoff and Kallis and, with Harmison andMuralitharan as the only front-line bowlers, it wasn’t surprising to see the Australians maul the Rest of the World by a comfortable margin of 210 runs.

If one remembers the World Series held way back in the 70’s, the famous feats of Sobers first comes to mind. His fabulous hundred against the Aussies, in a back-to-the-wall innings is enough proof that World XI games can be entertaining, and the will to win is enough of an incentive for players to do well.

Obviously, if things were left to me the scenario would have been a whole lot different if it happened again!

Make it a five day affair! As if five days aren't long enough, the ICC royally called for a six day event! In any case, the last two days weren't required, as the Australians finished it off in four days.

Make sure to get a neutral party to arrange the wicket. I would happily settle for the match being played in Australia, as long as the game is worth the watching. And everyone knows how much the pitch affects that possibility! We don't want so see a flat track and Hayden smashing everyone out of the park!

Get the weatherman on the phone! Rains are the worst stopages in cricket. You switch on the telly, with the prospect of seeing Sehwag taking on Lee in packed Sydney Cricket Ground. And voila! Overcast, wet, soggy outfields immediately invade the screen, with Alan Wilkins standing under an umbrella with the most apologetic smile on his face. The ICC really knows how to mess things up for the spectators. Something it seems to have learnt from the BCCI. Hopefully, they will pay more attention to the weather this time around.

And most importantly,

Get the right men to do the job right!

The main reason given by “experts” for the lack of success of the World XI was lack of communication, and time to gel as a unit.

Well, T20 is going to give them a lot more time to understand each other better and also teach them to get ready in lesser time!

The IPL has shown that it’s not impossible for player of different backgrounds to gel together as a unit and win.

Maybe it’s the right time for a World Series.

Here is how my XI would look.

1. Kumar Sangakkara It’s mind numbing to think that a player of his caliber was missing from the side three years ago! His super efficient wicket-keeping apart, he has always been a batsman that gives the Aussies head aches; he cemented his place as one of the premiere batsmen in the world by slamming the most memorable hundred in recent history against Australia during the second test. His 192 should have been worth more. Umpire Rudi Koertzen, raising his finger in one of the most controversial and heartbreaking decisions of 2007, saw to it that Australia were saved from the rampaging Sangakkara!
   
   
   
2. Virender Sehwag One of the few players who retain their spot in my side,Sehwag, as always, has managed to hit a purple patch yet again! His story has always been like an inconsistent mountain range. Tall peaks, followed by long and winding troughs! If his 319 against the South Africans was anything to go by, he is reaching the limit of his patience, and it’s not necessarily good for the bowlers. Just ask Makhaya Ntini!
   His stocky off spin bowling is an added incentive to play him. He turns the ball quite a lot, and more importantly, is accurate. The fact that he bowled Gilchrist around the legs is enough of reason to make him bowl, even though the smashing left hander has retired.
   
   
   
3. Ramnaresh Sarwan Well, I did a lot of thinking over this one, and Sarwanis currently the only one who fits the bill for this slot. Not only has the injury free period seen him go from strength to strength, his temperament too has been magnificent, especially while tackling the new ball against the likes of Lee. His fielding is a big bonus too.
   
   
   
4. Sachin Tendulkar No surprises here folks. The man walks into any team in the world, no matter what the criterion. To any doubters of his ability, just take a look at his recent form, especially against the Aussies, with nearly 500 runs in the series down under, including two scores of over 150! Add to that his career average of close to 57 in Australia, and you have one helluva match winner! On the recent tour he tackled the inconsistent Hogg with disdain, and Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait soon learnt exactly whyTendulkar is regarded as the world’s best player of fats bowling in long, long time! 
   
   
   
5. Shivnarine Chanderpaul Another West Indian, and one who has tasted success against the men from Oz, his consistency with the bat is mind blowing. The fact that he can play the sheet-anchor role to perfection means that Dravid (one of the notable omissions from my side) won’t be missed too much. His style of play also allows the stroke makers around him to play their natural game, especially at the top of the order.
   
   
   
6. Jacob Oram The big Kiwi is every bit the Chris Cairns he replaced. Big hitting, powerfully built, and a handy bowler, he has dominated the Australian bowling attack on more than one occasion off late. And if you think his Test batting average of 37.7 is out-of-this-world, then his average of 62 should have your jaw dropping to the floor! Add to that the fact that the average doesn’t change when he plays in their own backyard, and you know exactly why the giant is in this team!
   
   
   
7. Albie Morkel Apart from being the only saving grace in the Chennai Test match, which was hit by a storm called Sehwag, for South Africa, Morkeldisplayed exactly why the Proteas think so highly of him with and outstanding display in the IPL. His ability to het the deck, extract bounce from dead surfaces, and immaculate line and length make him a must have on the rock hard surfaces of Australia.
   
   
   
8. Irfan Pathan While he is yet to regain the lethal swing which made him one of the brightest prospects in world cricket, the Indian team management has figured out that it can use him as a stock bowler to contain the batsmen. His batting is always improving, and can be relied upon to add vital runs if the top order fails.
   
   
   
   
9. Daniel Vettori It was a trade off between the Indian skipper, Kumble, and his Kiwi counterpart for the spinner’s slot, and the latter clinched it, purely on current form. While Kumble did well in the dying stages of the 2007, the turn of the year has seemed to taken away the sting in his bowling as well. Batsmen are picking his wrong-‘un very well, and if the pitch is not offering much purchase, his bounce too is lacking. It may be a case of age catching up, or merely bad form.
   On the other hand Vettori has bowled as well as I have ever seen him bowl. He outshone Monty Panesar in every match during the Test series in England, and while his batting form has dipped, it’s done wonders for his bowling. Currently the world’s premier spin bowler, by a long margin. In my books at least!
   
   
10. Matthew Hoggard England may not want him, but he is still the world’s best swing bowler for me. Unlike others of his kin, he doesn’t need the conditions to assist him, and can make a ball move off concrete! His dogged approach, never say die attitude, makes him a must have for a side facing the best in the business.
    
    
    
11. Ishant Sharma He reminds me a lot of what Steve Harmison used to be in 2005. Tall, fast, and dangerously accurate. One hopes he doesn’t go down the same path. The bounce of the Australian wickets, along with the red Kookaburra was enough to turn this unknown bowler, who struggled against the like of Bangladesh, into an overnight sensation, and Ricky Ponting’s worst nightmare!
    
    
    

Well, now if you really want to make up the numbers, and add a few more names to make a 15 member squad, here goes:

1. Sanath Jayasuriya Undoubtedly the comeback man of world cricket, if there ever has been one! Of course with retirement from the longer format, one wonders if he would make an exception for a special occasion like this one.
   
   
   
2. Graeme Smith Confident, brash, aggressive. These are some of the adjectives that would best describe the young captain of the South Africans. One of their best bats in recent years, his technical short comings have been exploited by the clinical Australian bowlers from time to time. But when on song, even the best struggle to keep him quiet.
   
   
   
3. Dale Steyn The young hope of fast bowling in Test cricket, the record breaking fast bowler has been spoken off in high regard by many cricket followers. His main worry is the number of bad deliveries he offers to batsmen. But if he gets it on target, you would need reflexes of a martial artist to protect your stumps!
   
   
   
4. Jerome Taylor The young Caribbean is the shining ray of hope for West Indian bowling. Though surrounded by the likes of Edwards and Powell, he has managed to outshine them consistently. His speed is not the only worry for batsmen. His bouncers are painfully accurate, and his follow up yorkers don’t miss by much either!
   
   
   
   

That about does it, I suppose. The players, who were quite close to making the cut, yet fell short by a not-so-significant margin, were, perhaps Dwayne Bravo,Mahela Jayewardene, Mohammad Yousuf, Makhaya Ntini and Kevin Pietersen.

While I haven’t gone for an overtly bombastic line-up, the players chosen have displayed great consistency off late and, more importantly, have had great run ins with the Australians, both, home and away.

That was my line-up. What would be your World XI to face the Australians? Does Test cricket need another World Series? Will the result be any different this time around? Feel free to leave a comment!