Four Windies Western U-19 table greats in World XI

Lara, Headley, Sobers, Marshall make tough line-up

BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Four West Indies greats have been included in an All-time World Test team in the book Jones Town/Trench Town: The Journey Back written by former Jamaica cricketer Paul Buchanan.

The book which will be available to the public soon, lists world record-breaking Trinidadian Brian Lara, fellow batting legend, Panama-born George Headley who represented Jamaica; the greatest all-rounder of all-time, Barbadian Sir Garfield Sobers, as well as fast bowling superstar Malcolm Marshall, also of Barbados.

"The world team selection is based on superlative performances, unassailable batting and bowling averages and unquestioned genius," wrote Buchanan, who is also a former All Schools and Jamaica Youth team captain.

Buchanan, who attended Wolmer's Boys School, an institution responsible for producing some of the finest Jamaica and West Indies cricketers, opted for openers Jack Hobbs of England and Indian master, Sunil Gavaskar.

Sir Donald Bradman, regarded as Australia's greatest batsman of all time with a 99.9 average, Headley, Lara and Sobers make up the specialist batsmen, while England wicketkeeper Allan Knott is preferred to scores of other competent men who wore the big gloves.

Marshall is partnered with the new ball by Australian Glenn McGrath, who although arguably has less credentials than New Zealand fast bowling all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee, and beanpole West Indies quick Curtly Ambrose, was given the nod.

Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne and Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who is the world's leading wicket-taker with 800, are the slower bowlers selected.

"Their selection is beyond debate," Buchanan wrote, "with the exception of Lara over (Sachin) Tendulkar; and McGrath over Ambrose and Hadlee.

"Lara's greater mastery of both Shane Warne and Muralitharan at their best gives him a slight nod, apart from his other unimaginable records, scoring 400 runs against England in a Test match and 500 runs in a first class match.

"McGrath who bowled 29,268 balls for 563 wickets (average 21.64) exceeds both Hadlee who finished at 431 wickets (average 22.29) from 21,918 balls, and Ambrose with 405 wickets from 22,103 balls.

"McGrath's selection is based primarily on greater productivity at a very low average. Additionally, McGrath would have encountered greater handicaps with slower wickets, batsmen protected by helmets, rules restricting the number of bouncers per over and the disallowance of leg before wicket decisions for balls pitching outside the leg stump.

"In this regard, both Hadlee and Ambrose who ended their careers earlier would have suffered less," Buchanan wrote.

Buchanan's All-time World Test team -- Jack Hobbs, Sunil Gavaskar, Donald Bradman, George Headley, Brian Lara, Garfield Sobers, Allan Knott (wk), Shane Warne, Malcolm Marshall, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glen McGrath.

Reserves: Sachin Tendulkar (India), Grahame Pollock (South Africa), Richard Hadlee, Curtly Ambrose, Jim Laker (England).