No lead in blurb is required for this piece.
Let’s just get straight into it so you can comment to your hearts content at the end telling me how racist against Indians I am.
Warner (Aus) – Came out of the blocks in South Africa by announcing that Candice was pregnant. He also passed 50 in 5 of the 6 innings batted over there and didn’t look back. Has claims on being the best batsman in the world at present.
Challengers: No one
Braithwaite (WI) – The smokey in the team. Gets in basically because no other opener did anything. Not even Alastair Cook. Braithwaite did average 77 for the year and made 3 tons, so I guess that counts for something.
Challengers: Rogers was consistent. Vijay maybe the only other candidate, but nah
Sangakkara (SL) – Absolute gun. Passed the 50 mark 13 times on his way to almost 1500 runs in the calendar year. Extra points for having the double ‘kk’ in his name. Not everyone can pull that off.
Challengers: Are you kidding me?
McCullum (NZ) – His smallest hundred for the year was 195. He also made two doubles and a was New Zealand’s first ever player to score a triple. He had his name leaked as the guy who dobbed in Chris Cairns for match fixing. He gets in just for that. Oh, he also hit 33 sixes. He gets in just for that too.
Challengers: Steve Smith very unlucky that McCullum was just better, but only just.
Younis Khan (Pak) – How could you not love this man. After threatening to kill himself after being left out of the ODI series against Australia, he went back to back to back with hundreds in the Tests. Six hundreds in the year. He’s now 37. Every team needs an old bloke. Younis is that guy.
Challengers: AB de Villiers perhaps, but he had an average year. Misbah was close too
Mathews (SL) – My choice as skipper. In fact, he’s the best skipper in world cricket. Well, maybe Misbah is better. Actually, McCullum goes OK also. So does Clarke when on the field. Anyhow, he averaged 87 and came second to Sanga on the runs scored table. Captained Sri Lanka to their first ever series win in England. Made James Anderson cry. For that, we are all forever grateful.
Challengers: Moeen Ali. Only joking. Calm down
Sarfaraz Ahmed (PAK) – It’s not often you see a Pakistani in a Test Team of the Year. It’s even rarer to see two. It hasn’t happened since Wasim Akram and ….well…never mind. Ahmed averaged over 60 with 3 tons and 4 fifties. Also took some catches and other wicketkeeper type stuff.
Challengers: There weren’t many. BJ Waitling? I couldn’t pick him as Kiwi’s shouldn’t play Saffas in their side, although BJ are some great initials.
Johnson (AUS) – He was crazy scary in South Africa and then didn’t do much else until Adelaide. But it’s Mitch and every team needs a Mitch. Was only a decent year by his new lofty standards, but averaging 23 with a strike rate of 44 still beats most others.
Challengers: Nothing to see here
Steyn (SA) – The world’s number one bowler is just a machine. He’s like cricket’s version of Ivan Lendl. 39 wickets at 19, with a strike rate of 37. Cop that James Anderson.
Challengers: Nothing to see here
Anderson (Eng) – Speaking of James Overratedson, putting him into this team made me puke a little in my mouth. But he has earned his place in 2014. Lots of wickets, averaged 22 and had a strike rate under 50. On those stats, it was his best ever year. It only took James 12 years to live up to that exalted reputation he carries.
Challengers: Maybe Ryan Harris, but he didn’t play enough matches. Trent Boult unlucky, as was Ishant who twice took his best ever figures in an innings in 2014. Actually, Ishant could have been selected just because of his Lord’s performance.
Herath (SL) – The little fat bank teller from Kurunegala is a fair dinkum rockstar. Men want to be him. Women want to be with him. Can do no wrong. Herath was the world’s leading wicket taker in 2014 with 60.
Challengers: Nathan Lyon had a great year, but fatty Herath is miles ahead of him
So, time for your comments.
What did I get right?
More importantly, what did I get wrong?
Here is the Top Test Team of 2013 in case you are interested?
Fair call all round. Nice to see a couple of Kiwis in there (think they are in for a good world cup) and may I state my admiration for you selecting Anderson. That takes some balls, well played Sir!
I feel so dirty
Vijay instead of Brathwaite easily. You need to look at against whom runs are scored. take out Sangakkaras runs against a third class Bangladesh and he averages only 55. Hardly gun for someone who played a LOT at home and dead UAE pitches. johnson was a flash in the pan. Kohli scored runs in NZ and Aus, should be in despite England Horror. Rahane /Smith in place of Latham. Do better homework on performances next time. How you can leave out Smith/kohli/rahane is unreal.
vijay, warner, Rahane,Kohli, Smith, McCullum, mathews, steyn, boult, Harris, herath
Tom, you pick Rahane at number 3 and he hasn’t batted there all year – You now have no wicketkeeper in your team, yet I’d have to guess you’ve given McCallum that job. Also strange considering he hasn’t kept for 5 years. Maybe do your own homework before telling others to.
If you have a brain bigger than your dick you would realise that Rahane bats at No.3 for his domestic team. In a composite 11, you cant have everyone bat at their position they do in international cricket.
also, since Dennis has chosen Latham as keeper-someone who has never kept in his test career, it seems odd you would have a problem with a bonafide keeper in McCullum.again, do your homework before mouthing off.
Vijay has played 2 decent Tests all year. they just happen to be the only ones you remember as they were last week
I know you lack cricketing acumen and common sense,-and that is why you are no more than an average jobless blogger, but it would be good if you used a brain. Vijay also had a superb Lords Test, apart from a hundred at TrentBridge, to go with 3 good tests in Aus. If that is better than Brathwaite scoring runs against Bangladesh or whoever on dead pitches, chances are you will remain an idiotic attention seeking wannabe blogger.
“…. take out Sangakkaras runs against a third class Bangladesh and he averages only 55.”
Hahahahahahaha
What a prick Dennis. you really think averaging 55 against mediocre bowling at home/deadshit pitches is anything worthy to write about? maybe for you, as you embrace mediocrity. No Smith??! No Rahane?!
That escalated!
hey tom boy sanga just made a double ton in new Zealand the way if you compare kohli with sanga,sri lanka doesn’t get test matches like India gets in countries like Australia,new Zealand and england…mind you that
No Glenn Maxwell?! This is an outrage
He was close
Hey Dennis good selection .. have couple of inputs mate
Warner-No doubt hes best
Vijay-He played with remarkable consistency against best attacks this year (good partner to attacking warner)
Rahane-He performed exceptionally overseas this year against best attacks .also a no 3 for his ranji side so can b played in expense of sanga
McCullum/Abd-Can select any one no probs
Misbah/Steve Smith- Younis performed well in only series where as misbah is consistent across and no need to mention abt smith purple patch but only concern is his vulnerability against swinging ball
Mathews-No doubt hes true leader
BJ Watling(WK)-Regular keepr needed so I ommited Sanga and added him
Broad/Johnson-Either can be selected broad is consitent when compared to mitch
Styen-No doubt
Anderson/Morkel/Boult- Basing on conditions
Herath- is very good choice hes done well
I don’t accept Vijay.
he excelled expectation mate… and hes consistently improving frm past 6 mnths as solid test batter
Anderson does go missing too often against high quality batting attacks. He could almost be excluded for his poor performance at Headingly in the 2nd innings v Sri Lanka and a brainless performance at Lord’s. Happy to put Boult in ahead of him. IMO, Anderson’s best period was in 2010 to end of Sri Lanka series away in 2012. Probably doesn’t rack up on stats but he was consistently good then.
2014 was ‘Peak Anderson’
If you are simply picking best XI of 2014, theft should be no room for discussion or debate. Just pick best stats and it’s done. Pretty much the same reasoning why you ceded to allow Overattedson in the team.
However if you wanted to put together the best XI possible, it would the below 11 players.
Warner
Amla
Kohli
Sanga
ABD
MCcullum
Matthews
Harris
Johnson
Steyn
Herath
FKN bang!
You have spelt ‘Melburnite’ wrong
thank you so much you f****** biased
Oh, don’t be like that.