Cricket Draft

[Ian Sea]

Excellent choice Piston.

 

Hoping he might stay elusive until my next go.

 

I was hoping he'd stay available but doubted he would. Great pick at this stage.

[Red Banjo]

I was hoping he'd stay available but doubted he would. Great pick at this stage.

 

Indeed.

 

I have a list a 5 players i really want to remain unpicked before i go again. Which is fucking ages away. So there is literally no chance. Although there were 6 names on the list from my last go and Mark Waugh is the only one who has gone so far.

 

Anyone picking these players gets sworn at. Loudly. And i'll probably shake my fist during said expletives. So there.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

I was surprised he lasted so long lads, i wanted other players more with my earlier draught picks and risked him still being available, worked out in the end. Still got some ace players up my sleeve but no doubt some will go.

[Stu Monty]

I couldn't believe that Amla and Hussey were both still available and had some blind hope that the former might fly under the radar untill my next pick.

[TheBitch]

I couldn't believe that Amla and Hussey were both still available and had some blind hope that the former might fly under the radar untill my next pick.

 

I was convinced you were gonna pick Amla. I was astounded he was still there. There's only 4 players who average more than him at number 3. And they've quite obviously already been picked.

[Jairzinho]

Amla, for me, is the best batsman in the world. Probably by a reasonable distance. In general though, it is much easier to have a high average now than it was 10, 20, 30, or 40 years ago.

[Guest LFD]

In general though, it is much easier to have a high average now than it was 10, 20, 30, or 40 years ago.

 

Yes and no.

 

I think that bowlers are not the same quality at the moment.

 

However DRS has helped bowlers more than batsman IMO.

 

I wasn't surprised Hussey and Amla were not picked before. I think they were just picked at the right time.

[Yozzer]

There's no arguing that today's game is a batsmens one. Not saying modern day batsmen aren't any good but they definitely have a better deal than the bowlers.

[Jairzinho]

Yes and no.

 

I think that bowlers are not the same quality at the moment.

 

However DRS has helped bowlers more than batsman IMO.

 

I wasn't surprised Hussey and Amla were not picked before. I think they were just picked at the right time.

 

The effect of DRS is minimal compared to the difference in quality of bowlers, pitches, and protective equipment. In my humble opinion, of course.

 

It works the other way, of course. Some bowlers now are slightly underrated. Steyn, being one. Genuinely one of the greatest fast bowlers ever. Yet a lot of people would probably laugh if he was put in the same bracket as Marshall, Lillee etc. Should add, that I do think those two were better. The point remains, Steyn averages 23 with the ball in an era more favourable to batsman.

[Guest LFD]

It is more spinners that the DRS favours, as they get far more LBWs now.

[A_S]

Still a LOT of good players available out there. I'm waiting on roadsemig to pick then I can, but I'm boarding a plane late tomorrow, so hopefully I can get my pick done before I head to the airport and shouldn't be too long before I can get to do the next one which is a much quicker turn around.

[A_S]

The effect of DRS is minimal compared to the difference in quality of bowlers, pitches, and protective equipment. In my humble opinion, of course.

 

It works the other way, of course. Some bowlers now are slightly underrated. Steyn, being one. Genuinely one of the greatest fast bowlers ever. Yet a lot of people would probably laugh if he was put in the same bracket as Marshall, Lillee etc. Should add, that I do think those two were better. The point remains, Steyn averages 23 with the ball in an era more favourable to batsman.

 

Seriously, is Steyn actually underrated? I know that once a player retires, there is a bit of romanticism added to their abilities etc but he is a genuine superstar in every sense of the word. Comparing him with those legends isn't over the top at all, his record has stood the test of time. GUN.

[Jairzinho]

Seriously, is Steyn actually underrated? I know that once a player retires, there is a bit of romanticism added to their abilities etc but he is a genuine superstar in every sense of the word. Comparing him with those legends isn't over the top at all, his record has stood the test of time. GUN.

 

I think he is slightly underrated, because the general level is lower than in the 70s or 80s. Or even 90s. It should make him stand out even more, and to me it does. I don't think thats universal, though.

 

Some commentators/pundits/writers wonder who is better out of him and Anderson. No, really, they do.

 

What makes his record so good is that he was actually pretty poor, or certainly inconsistent, for his first two or three years of test cricket. If he'd started really well we could have been looking at a bowler with an average under 20. Which, in the current climate of pretty mediocre batsman averaging 40 with the bat, would have been incredible.

[Lee909]

It's been a bloody week since I picked.

[ROADENDSMIG]

VVS Laxman get in having that.

 

PM sent to Aussie Scouser.

[Yozzer]

Ah bollocks, loved watching VVS. Got to see him play for Lancs a couple of times when he was here and it was brilliant.

[ROADENDSMIG]

Technically gifted, impecable temprament.

"Big Daddy hundreds" and so under-estimated.

 

What a batsman

 

Wonder how he would get on in the dressing room with some of my other picks.

[Lee909]

Wait a week and have your pick stolen

 

 

Good pick

[ROADENDSMIG]

Going to my cricket club sportsmans dinner tonight. This draft is a part of the speech I have to make. Only so I may get a heads up on some players, I might have missed.

 

I told you all last week, I am trying to win it.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

VVS Laxman get in having that.

 

PM sent to Aussie Scouser.

 

He was on my ever decreasing list.

[Ian Sea]

VVS was on my list but some way down, quite happy he's gone before my other preferred choices. Now I'll just wait for Lee to steal my next pick again!

[Guest LFD]

Yet a lot of people would probably laugh if he was put in the same bracket as Marshall, Lillee etc. Should add, that I do think those two were better.

 

Given that Lillee, Marshall and loads other bowlers were selected ahead of him, would suggest to me they are better than him or rated higher.

 

Lots of these things are subjective, some might agree with you, but some might rate Lillee or Marshall more. I'm personally in the latter.

[Fowlers God]

Amla was gonna be my last pick before side bottom b ut i was aware that i only had one bowler in my team at the time,

[A_S]

Are we going to have an ODI version of this? Really enjoying it, although leaving your list of 60-70 players (divided into bowling/batting type groups during work hours) on your work pc, then fuck off overseas for 2 weeks, while managing to miss 2 picks in a row, which equated to missing out on around 40 players (!!)

 

Ah well, I've still got a few on my wishlist that haven't been picked.

[lifetime fan]

Get in...surprised not of the aussies stole my pick.