Most naturally talented or gifted Test XI of all-time?

[Harsh Thakor]

This is my all-time XI of the most naturally talented or gifted cricketers and not neccessarily the best overall technically or statistically.Thus team of 11 geniuses.


1.Virendra Sehwag/Barry Richards
2.Victor Trumper
3.Don Bradman (C)
4.Rohan Kanhai
5.Brian Lara
6.Gary Sobers
7.A B Devilliers (W)
8.Keith Miller
9.Malcolm Marshall
10.Wasim Akram
11.Abdul Qadir

12th man Viv Richards

Abdul Qadir was the hardest spinner ever to read,virtually a mystery.Foxed batsmen more than Warne.Wasim took bowling wizardry to a realm never reached before like a magician.Marshall took pace bowling craft traversing dazzling heights like no right hander,mastering the skidding delivery.Miller was the ultimate embodiment of agression with both bat and ball.Devilliers was simply the Viv Richards of his day with his infinite imagination which surpassed even Gilchrist for creativity.Sobers simply took al-round cricketing art to regions of the divine,never traversed before.Lara took bating creativity to regions of the sublime surpassing any batsmen for pure prowess.Kanhai surpassed everyone for pure creative genius taking bating art to another dimension..Bradman was the closest to a cricketing machine even if unorthodox whose scoring rate reminded one of hare running.Trumper was the ultimate genius on bad or wet tracks.Sehwag took attacking agression to a crescendo noone could do in his day and age.Barry Richards was closest to the perfect batsmen.

Bradman would lead this team while Devilliers would keep the wickets.

In my view Lara by a whisker had more natural talent than Sachin or Viv executing strokes that wee surreal.Similarly Miller had more natural ability as a batsmen than Imran Khan or even Ian Botham.

Those who just missed out here were Viv Richards,Sachin Tendulkar,Imran Khan,Ian Botham,Ray Lindwall,Denis Compton ,Grease Pollock,Virat Kohli,Chris Gayle and Adam Gilchrist.

[fawad_wellwisher]

What about Zaheer Abbas and Kevin Peterson?

[Titan24]

What about Zaheer Abbas and Kevin Peterson?

Exactly these two names came into my mind as well. What a coincidence.

[Harsh Thakor]

What about Zaheer Abbas and Kevin Peterson?

Very close but just miss out. I feel Majid,Inzamam and Vishwanath were even closer possessing phenomenal talent as well as VVS Laxman.

[Forward Defensive Push]

Muralitharan. He was naturally gifted with a bent arm and he made the most of it! So much so that he was the best in the business!

[Ted123]

Sehwag in place of Trumper. Rest agreed.

[Sir Alex]

Tendulkar was a bona fide genius who used to be a crowd puller at 14 yes of age. If he does not fit the definition of naturally talented, am not sure who would.

[King_Kohli]

vvs Lakshman

[Ab Fan]

Richards
Sehwag
Viv
Pollock G
Lara
Sobers
de Villiers (wkt)
Miller
Warne
Wasim
Marshall

[JattMaula]

This thread is cancelled.

How can OP ignore Lala?

[Harsh Thakor]

Richards
Sehwag
Viv
Pollock G
Lara
Sobers
de Villiers (wkt)
Miller
Warne
Wasim
Marshall

Great team.We almost chose same bar Viv,Warne,And Pollock.Was not Abdul Qadir more talented and versatile than Warne,Kanhai more talented than Viv or even Bradman?Very strong case for Viv,no doubt.Again well done on selection.

[Harsh Thakor]

vvs Lakshman

Almost there.Still preferred Vishwanath.

[Harsh Thakor]

Sehwag in place of Trumper. Rest agreed.

Trumper was more of a genius on bad wickets than Sehwag,

[ak619]

Tendulkar was a bona fide genius who used to be a crowd puller at 14 yes of age. If he does not fit the definition of naturally talented, am not sure who would.

This a 100 times!

[CadPakFan]

Vinod Kambli
Shahid Afridi
Umar Akmal
Ambati Rayadu
Kevin Pietersen
Brad Hodge
Brendon Taylor
Mohammad Asif
Ajantha Mendis
Shane Bond
Shoaib Akhtar