World Test XI, June 2025

What better time than the end of a WTC cycle.

1. YBK Jaiswal
2. UT Khawaja
3. KS Williamson
4. JE Root
5. HC Brook
6. RR Pant (wk)
7. RA Jadeja
8. PJ Cummins (c)
9. NM Lyon
10. KG Rababa
11. JJ Bumrah

12. SPD Smith

It's a tough era for opening batters. I maintain that specialist openers are important. Resisting the urge to make like most teams and just shuffle your other batters into the position means that an unproven Jaiswal and a fading Khawaja get the spots, Ben Duckett being the next in line.

The rest of the team is a lot simpler. Williamson, Root and Brook are an easy middle order to pick. Steve Smith just misses out and carries the drinks instead.

The Indian pair of Pant and Jadeja are the top ranked keeper and all rounder respectively. Yes I want a specialist keeper, Mohd Rizwan misses out.

Lyon beats Noman Ali to the spinners spot. Bumrah, Rabada and Cummins would surprise nobody as the pace lineup, with Hazelwood the man missing out.

I've been won over to Cummin's captaincy so he gets the arm band ahead of some other strong candidates in the team.

Happy 2019

My it's been a while. Let's do Alan's World Test XI!

1. FDM Karunaratne
2. D Elgar
3. KS Williamson (cpt)
4. V Kohli
5. CA Pujara
6. Shakib al Hasan
7. Q de Kock (wk)
8. R Ashwin
9. PJ Cummins
10. K Rabada
11. JM Anderson

12th man: RA Jadeja

With Warner banned, Karunaratne sneaks in to join Elgar as the specialist openers. Williamson captains from number 3. And with Smith also banned Pujara joins Kohli in the middle order.

Shakib gets the all rounder slot at 6, one above de Kock who only gets the gloves because both Buttler and Bairstow don't seem to be keeping in Tests any more.

The pace attack of Rabada, Cummins and Anderson picks itself. Honestly you could pick the next three in line (Philander, Abbas, Boult) and not lose much at all.

Ashwin actually lags Jadeja on the rating table right now, but already having included Shakib (and a good dollop of personal preference) means I'm picking the offy in the spinner slot. Ravi carries the drinks.

Anniversary Post

Being one year since I posted last.

Not much has changed for my IRL, but some has changed in the world of Cricket.

Let's cop out on creating content and look at Alan's World Test XI!

1. DA Warner
2. AN Cook (cpt)
3. SPD Smith
4. JE Root
5. KS Williamson
6. JM Bairstow (wk)
7. R Ashwin
8. SCJ Broad
9. HMRKB Herath
10. DW Steyn
11. JM Anderson

12th man: HM Amla

Warner and Cook the best two specialist openers. Cook for captain over Smith because I reckon he's grown into it. The middle order of Smith, Root, Williamson could be reordered; Amla just misses out and is carrying the drinks.

Bairstow keeping and batting at 6, Ashwin provides an interesting spin option in the allrounder slot.

Steyn, Anderson and Broad are the pace spearhead. Ashwin is also the top rated spinner but since he's already in we have the pleasure of picking everyone's favourite green grocer HMRKB Herath to round out the bowling attack.

Forgotten but not gone

Life's been too busy for cricket blogging. Until I can pipe my thoughts direct, typing the input will continue to be a barrier to entry.

Yet cricket goes on. Let's look at Alan's World Text XI, just for fun.

1. DA Warner
2. CJL Rogers
3. SPD Smith (cpt)
4. HM Amla
5. JE Root
6. AB de Villiers (wk)
7. Shakib al Hasan
8. Yasir Shah
9. SJC Broad
10. TA Boult
11. DW Steyn

12th man: AD Mathews

Rogers gets a temporary recall from early retirement to partner Davey at the top. It's that or go digging for Cook way down the list.

Smith, Amla, Root and AB for the middle order. Smith to wear the armband as a nod to the new generation. AB to take the gloves, another compromise since next in line is Sarfraz Ahmed.

Shakib beats out Mathews to the all-rounder slot, and backs up Yasir's leggies. Broad, Boult and Steyn form the pace spearhead.

T20 World XI

Following the conclusion of the World T20 we're in a bit of a doldrums in world cricket. What better time to pick a World T20 XI!

I guess if you're going to follow the IPL closely it's not really a doldrums. For me, only Super Rugby exceeds the IPL for drawn-out pointlessness. Which is a pity because there is actually some decent cricket played each IPL, it's just buried amidst endless other dross.

Enough chit chat. Here's Alan's current World T20 team:

1. AJ Finch
2. V Kohli
3. AD Hales
4. BB McCullum (cpt)
5. MDKJ Perera (wk)
6. F du Plessis
7. Mohammad Hafeez
8. KMDN Kulasekara
9. SP Narine
10. MA Starc
11. S Badree
12th man: Shakib al Hasan

Unlike Tests and ODIs I'm not hung up on specialist openers here. The best six in the world can line up in pretty much any order. This one works for me, although I think JP's unlucky to miss out to Faf at 6. Baz to captain, and we'll hand Kushal the gloves.

Hafeez gets the all rounders slot, relegating Shakib to drinks-carrier.

Narine and Badree select themselves, and that's enough spinners for me. Ajmal, Ashwin, Senanayake and Nat McCullum are the spinners to miss out as we scan down the list for the top two pacers. Starc and Kula to open the bowling.

World Test XI, Q1 2014

Because there's no Test cricket for a while, and because the World T20 hasn't really fired my interest yet, and because we were AFK this weekend and this is a quick one to whip up... it's time for a snapshot of the World Test XI! This exercise amuses me, and it'll be a regular feature of this blog.

1. DA Warner
2. AN Cook
3. HM Amla
4. KC Sangakkara (cpt)
5. AB de Villiers (wk)
6. S Chanderpaul
7. VD Philander
8. MG Johnson
9. RJ Harris
10. DW Steyn
11. Saeed Ajmal

12th man: R Ashwin

Like some teams around the world, this XI finds itself in a state of some transition. It's hard times for specialist openers, with only Warner really putting his hand up. Cook sneaks in as the next best specialist. Smith is still listed but was not considered following his retirement.

No so with the middle order. Amla, Sanga, AB and Chanders would stand up to any in history. Taylor is unlucky to miss out. AB is still keeping for the Proteas so he gets the gloves here too. With no current captain selected I'm handing the arm band to the ever-classy Sangakkara.

Philander earns himself a promotion to 7 by topping out the all rounder ratings. Ashwin is hot on his heals but only makes the reserve slot.

Johnson, Harris and Steyn round out the fast bowling options. Along with big Vern that makes quite a pace battery; Sanga's only problem will be deciding who gets to open the bowling. Ajmal retains the spinners spot, just edging Herath out.

There we have it. We'll take a look at a World T20 XI as soon as the tournament wraps up, like next week or something.

World Test XI

The end of 2013 sees the rebirth of Cricket Calls. I have a lot to say about cricket and not nearly enough time to say it. With luck I'll find time to pen some incisive rambling about world cricket from a South African perspective.

To kick things off, and to close out the old year, here is Alan's current World Text XI...

1. GC Smith (cpt)
2. DA Warner
3. HM Amla
4. RL Taylor
5. AB de Villiers (wk)
6. S Chanderpaul
7. R Ashwin
8. VD Philander
9. DW Steyn
10. RJ Harris
11. HMRKB Herath

12th man: Saeed Ajmal

Smith and Warner the top two specialist openers, the former to captain.Taylor makes a deserved debut after Hashim. de Villiers at five and keeping. Chanders rounds out the specialist batsmen.

Philander, Steyn and Herath select themselves. Ashwin gets number seven as the top ranked all rounder, and causes Harris to pip Saeed Ajmal because of the he spin option provides.