Associate Nations World Cup Dream Team
There has been a lot of talk about whether the associate nations should be able to compete at the World Cup. This subject matter I will be discussing in more detail further but for now I thought it would be fun to create an Associate Nations World Cup 2011 dream team. The only rule is that at least 1 player must be selected from Canada , Netherlands , Ireland , Zimbabwe and Kenya
The Team:
William Porterfield (Capt) Ireland
Brendan Taylor Zimbabwe
Ed Joyce Ireland
Ryan Ten Doeschate Netherlands
Ashish Bagai (WK) Canada
Collins Obuya Kenya
Kevin O’Brien Ireland
Harvir Baidwan Canada
Trent Johnston Ireland
George Dockrell Ireland
Ray Price Zimbabwe
The hardest part of creating this team is most certainly deciding upon the medium pacers in the team. Harvir Baidwan has picked up 13 wickets in 6 games which is a very good return even though one of these performances was 3 for 84 in 9.1 overs. His opening bowler partner will be Trent Johnston who again is a military medium bowler but except in his spell against South Africa
Interesting read Fulky, hard to fault any of your selections. Who would have thought that my main man Elton Chigumbura wouln't have got a gig in this XI at the start of the world cup, but he has been hopeless! And I am even more distressed at the decline of Steve Tikolo who has flown the flag for Kenyan cricket over so many years, think he had better hang his spikes up before he does his rep and more damage.
ReplyDeleteDecent Side Fulky, you can get a few overs out of Tendo as well. I think its safe to say Tikolo and Davidson have both played one world cup too many
ReplyDeleteMaybe there should be an associate nations test or one day side like the Unicorns in the 1 day league
So what is actually the format for the next world cup, can any associate nations play? I reckon the Afganies are up and comers. Trouble is qualifying for this happened 2 years ago and Kenya have been in decline since
You have to love Rao, pure unadulterated leg spin some brilliance mixed up with some utter crap but a big fat bowler
Actually I have a new challenge can you put together an associate team where they have to be born in the country they play for
Chigumbura has been a real let down in this tournament, I was thoroughly looking forward to watching him play. Always been a fan, his bowling performances have been woeful.
ReplyDeleteTikolo has retired from international cricket now, very much the right decision. Very decent player in his peak. Painful at times to watch in the early matches of this World Cup.
As Mike has requested I have come up with an associate nations select XI and they are all born from the country they are now playing for. Went for the same format as before, have to have at least one player from each associate nation and is based on performances in this World Cup only:
ReplyDeleteWilliam Porterfield - Donemana, Northern Ireland
Brendan Taylor - Harare, Zimbabwe
Ed Joyce - Dublin, Ireland
Collins Obuya - Nairobi, Kenya
Tatenda Taibu - Harare, Zimbabwe
Kevin O'Brien - Dublin, Ireland
Zubin Surkari - Toronto, Canada
Prosper Utseya - Harare, Zimbabwe
George Dockrell - Dublin, Ireland
Ray Price - Harare, Zimbabwe
Pieter Seelaar - Schiedam, Netherlands
The hardest thing with picking this team is working out who the Canadian representative should be. There isn't much of a choice, appears my only options were either Surkari who scored 104 runs in 6 innings at an average of 17.33 or John Davison who was actually born in British Columbia before being brought up in Australia. I really wanted to pick Davison, if anything for nostalgia purposes but it just couldn't be justified, 33 runs in 5 innings at an average of 8.25 and 5 wickets at an average of 39.4.
The wicketkeeper position was also a tough decision between either Nial O'Brien and Taibu. Wasn't much in it as both are very decent keepers who both contribute with the bat but I opted for Taibu in the end.
If it's good enough for Sri Lanka to load up their team with spinners then it's good enough for this team aswell so to replace Trent Johnston in the team I went for Prosper Utseya who had a solid world cup picking up some wickets aswell as some valuable lower order runs. Pieter Seelaar was the Netherlands representative, he was close to the initial team so only right he became the Netherlands player in this team. I found it hard enough finding non spin bowlers to put in this team in the first place so after both of medium pacers were ineligble for this squad I had no other choice than to go in with a spin dominant attack. I admit having only Kevin O'Brien as a medium pace option isn't ideal but on a couple of the pitches in this World Cup I think you could get away with it. If I felt like I had to pick a medium pacer as maybe picking 4 is a bit excessive then I would choose between Chris Mpofu of Zimbabwe, Nehemiah Odhiambo of Kenya or John Mooney of Ireland. Out of the three I would go for Mooney, had a decent world cup for Ireland but finding worthwhile medium pacers to even mention was tough.
I am surprised Boyd Rankin didnt make it probably the quickest of the lot, haha I bet it was tough picking the Canadians, its basically the expat 11 isnt it
ReplyDeleteScratch that born in Northern Ireland shouldnt have doubted you Fulky
ReplyDeleteWell on that basis Porterfield shouldn't be in team either as he was born in Northern Ireland aswell.
ReplyDeleteRankin is the quickest but he has had a horrible world cup.