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All Time Worst Test XI's

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    All Time Worst Test XI's

    Mark Lathwell (who knows if he'd have made it as a cricketer if he'd had a bit longer at Somerset to work out how to bat)
    Aftab Habib (looked as out of his depth as anyone I've ever seen)
    Fred Grace (presumably picked for the family connection, made a pair in his only test, only averaged 25 in first class cricket)
    Chris Cowdrey * (his pick as captain seemed to be down to being Peter May's godson, and the selectors still thinking that we were in the era of gentlemen and players)
    Ivo Bligh (no "honourables" here, only in the team cos he was picking it)
    George Studd (much the lesser of the Studd brothers, I think one of the Stud brothers might have made a better fist of a cricket career)
    Gavin Hamilton (no runs, no wickets, think he dropped a catch too)
    Richard Blakey + (barely played county cricket after his test adventure)
    Chris Schofield (England desperate for a leg spinner, any leg spinner, alight on Schofield who after failing to take a wicket in two tests swiftly dropped to playing minor counties cricket, as a batsman)
    Jonathan Agnew (test bowling average 93, to be born in mind when he makes criticisms from the press box)
    Jimmy Ormond (even if he was the best player in his family)

    #2
    All Time Worst Test XI's

    Simon O'Donnell is a shoo-in for the Australia XI. Venkat to captain India.

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      #3
      All Time Worst Test XI's

      Etienne wrote:
      Jimmy Ormond (even if he was the best player in his family)
      No shame as not the best player in my family. Even if his opening overs here were a bit wayward.

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        #4
        All Time Worst Test XI's

        Jonathan Agnew (test bowling average 93, to be born in mind when he makes criticisms from the press box)
        Wasn't Michael Vaughan roundly (and I think rightly) criticised for making this exact point when being interviewed by Agnew?

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          #5
          All Time Worst Test XI's

          If so, good. How many test wickets does an experienced cricket journalist need before fairly criticising current players- 3, 30, or 300?

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            #6
            All Time Worst Test XI's

            Darren Pattinson, surely? Also Ian Salisbury, Mike Watkinson, Ed Giddins, Martin McCague, Usman Afzaal.

            Lathwell was a very good player for Somerset for a number of years. He just didn't have the mental strength to cope with Tests. There must be worse batsmen than him for this side.

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              #7
              All Time Worst Test XI's

              Uton Dowe for the West Indies. So bad that the crowd were holding up banners that said "Dowe Shalt Not Bowl".

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                #8
                All Time Worst Test XI's

                Hail McCague. Ultonia's last (only?) test player, unless you count Porterield taking a catch as sub fielder at Lord's a few years ago.

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                  #9
                  All Time Worst Test XI's

                  The "West Indies" side that just got white washed at home (in both the Test and ODI series) by Bangladesh could go in as a group, swapping Darren Sammy for Mr. Dowe.

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                    #10
                    All Time Worst Test XI's

                    Kid A, Giddins test average is more than respectable, even if it did come mainly from 1 (or 2?) good performance.

                    Lathwell had a good season for Somerset, he had a much less successful county career than several of the others you name.

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                      #11
                      All Time Worst Test XI's

                      Wyatt, are you having Venkat simply as a poor captain? Because he was a very fine bowler, often keeping Prasanna out of the team.

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                        #12
                        All Time Worst Test XI's

                        Why on Earth... wrote:
                        Simon O'Donnell is a shoo-in for the Australia XI. Venkat to captain India.
                        Venkat's before my time but he took a fair few wickets. Was he a particularly bad captain? Anyhow, the captain of India has to be either this chap:

                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharajkumar_of_Vizianagram

                        or this chap:

                        http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/32683.html

                        Considering the second chap (Porbandar) only captained India in warm ups, I think "Vizzy" is the man. He sent home Lala Armanath, India's best player, as well. In fact, I think I'll let this picture do the talking:



                        O'Donnell got cancer when he was 24, so not really a fair pick.

                        Ian Greig for England.

                        Gerry Liebenberg for South Africa.

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                          #13
                          All Time Worst Test XI's

                          Agnew was clearly a good county bowler, at a time when county cricket was strong, so can't include him whatever his test figures. See also Neal Radford and probably several others. Tony Piggot was only picked because he was nearby getting married, but he was a worse bowler than both of them.

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                            #14
                            All Time Worst Test XI's

                            Etienne wrote:
                            Kid A, Giddins test average is more than respectable, even if it did come mainly from 1 (or 2?) good performance.

                            Lathwell had a good season for Somerset, he had a much less successful county career than several of the others you name.
                            Giddins ran through a Zimbabwe team I think? Early in the season too. Means nowt for me.

                            Lathwell did play for quite a few years for Somerset so I think I was going off that. Plus I read Tresco's book recently and he really rated Lathwell (might not be the most unbiased opinion going, admittedly).

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                              #15
                              All Time Worst Test XI's

                              Etienne wrote:
                              Wyatt, are you having Venkat simply as a poor captain? Because he was a very fine bowler, often keeping Prasanna out of the team.
                              True. Can we have a non-playing captain?

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                                #16
                                All Time Worst Test XI's

                                Surely Cowdrey already has that role nailed down.

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                                  #17
                                  All Time Worst Test XI's

                                  The Zimbabwe team in 2000 wasn't that bad, both the Flower's, Murray Goodwin, Neal Johnson. They won quite a few ODIs on that tour against England and the Windies, and might have won the second test but for rain. Giddins figures were much better than Caddick or Gough. And his first class average was lower than Agnew's, 28 to 29. Not saying he was a world beater, but to good for this company.

                                  Like the Windies, Australia's team would probably be made up entirely from people who came in during World Series, plus a few players from their mid 80s nadir - Veletta? Welham? Chris Matthews?

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                                    #18
                                    All Time Worst Test XI's

                                    Oh, and McGain.

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                                      #19
                                      All Time Worst Test XI's

                                      Dave Gilbert played in one test in 85, and did not much else. His form as overseas player for Gloucs in 1991 was OK but clearly not test class.

                                      Wyatt, do you not think Vizzy is your man?

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                                        #20
                                        All Time Worst Test XI's

                                        I thought this was going to be a thread that began "Strauss, Cook, Bopara, Bell, Collingwood ..."

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                                          #21
                                          All Time Worst Test XI's

                                          Tubby Isaacs wrote:
                                          In fact, I think I'll let this picture do the talking:

                                          [/quote]
                                          My god, is that David Mitchell?

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                                            #22
                                            All Time Worst Test XI's

                                            Looks more like David Baddiel.

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                                              #23
                                              All Time Worst Test XI's

                                              I'm not standing back and allowing Mike Watkinson to be included! Statistically he's not that much worse than another, slightly more famous- Lancastrian all-rounder.

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                                                #24
                                                All Time Worst Test XI's

                                                Fatter Hipper wrote:
                                                I'm not standing back and allowing Mike Watkinson to be included! Statistically he's not that much worse than another, slightly more famous- Lancastrian all-rounder.
                                                Pah! Flintoff's overall career figures are mediocre, no question. But between about 2003-2005 he was world-class. Watkinson doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath.

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                                                  #25
                                                  All Time Worst Test XI's

                                                  Strauss
                                                  Cook
                                                  Bopara
                                                  Bell
                                                  Collingwood
                                                  Prior
                                                  Broad
                                                  Swann
                                                  Harmison
                                                  Anderson
                                                  Onions

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