Well I saw this really interesting discussion on Corridor of Uncertainty that talked about favourite cricket teams - and I coouldn't but help thinking what my list would be like.
This would be entirely, as of today, and can undergo several changes:
8. South Africa: This team was really good until not long ago; but now they play really boring cricket - Kallis and Smith are class players but they really don't excite me so much these days.
7. New Zealand: This team is often talked about a lot as one that makes great use of limited resources - well, dammit - they are a pretty ordinary side !!! They are great only when Cairns or Oram is on fire - (unfortunately Bond is perenially injured)
6. Pakistan: Again, up until recently they had some superbly talented players; they still have a couple - Inzamam definitely, but they don't seem to have that aura that Wasim and Waqar provided earlier.
5. Sri Lanka: A lot of people slam Sri Lanka as a boring side; but I feel they are no more boring than the above 3. Though there is no Aravinda Desilva, Jayawardene and Sangakarra are both beautifully attractive and talented players and Jayasuriya can still destroy attacks.
4. Australia: They are perfection. However, that is exactly what puts them at #4 and not higher. Shane Warne is a master, Gilchrist superb, Clarke, Ponting, Hayden, McGrath all great - but that little Mark Waugh factor seems missing just a little bit.
3. England: Unlike some of the other teams, England are in much better shape now than any time recently. They have genuine class in Harmisson, Flintoff and Vaughan; Thorpe is quite a lovely player as well and they are finally putting together good performances as a team.
2. West Indies: This is the biggest shocker - stats will show that they are not a good team at all (at least at the Test level) Also the flamboyant, attractive style of yesteryears has waned a bit - but the sheer magnificence of Brian Lara ensures this position for his side. There is no one in the World who can come anywhere near as far as quality of strokeplay is concerned. Also, Ramnaresh Sarwan is a really lovely player too
1. India: This is a no-brainer. Even if India had the dullest team in the World, they would still rank #1 on this list. However, they have a team that can play beautiful (and at times World class) cricket - Sehwag, Dravid, Sachin, Sourav, Laxman - wow that is some lineup !!! And there is young Irfan Pathan who has brought back to the game the art of swing. And who can forget the spin twins, Kumble and Harbhajan ??
Well beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder - of course, beauty does not always guarantee quality hence the table is somewhat different from the ICC Championship. Well would like to hear your thoughts on this issue.
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It's good that this discussion is not about which are the "best" teams in the world, in that case you have to apply brain rather than heart.
So here goes the list of my favorites,
8) SA: their comparison with the older team makes them look the ghastliest
7) Shrilanka: I just dont like them
6) Pak: had it been year 1996 they would have been much higher but alas..they just dont play good cricket these days...and I dont consider the bowling actions of most of the players as cricket
5) NZ: I'm one of those who believe that "there is something about NZ" :) and they have the potential to give unbelievable performances in spite of limited abilities.
4) WI: some individuals in this team have such an aura that its hard to ignore this team
3) Eng: they are a nice blend of good cricket players and continuously improving
2) Aus: They do the right justice to the game called "cricket"
1) India: Well, no matter how bad they play, with whom they play the word cricket is not complete without india. Hope they are successful in converting the individual brilliances into team success...that will also make them the best.
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