November’s Finest: A World Cricket XI

The team featured in this article is incredibly watchable, and is one of the strongest in the series. Many of the players are crowd favorites and have been able to deliver match-winning performances consistently, making them a force to be reckoned with. What sets this team apart is the inclusion of four pre-WWII batsmen, which gives the top order a vintage feel, along with one current player, adding excitement to the team’s dynamic.

1. Victor Trumper (Australia, born 2 November 1877)
– Batted Genius
– Known for skill on rain-affected pitches
– Experts proclaim him greatest batsman seen
– Career strike-rate unsurpassed among pre-WWII batsmen
– Second Test: 135 not out at Lord’s, Australia’s three-run win at Old Trafford in 1902
– Cricinfo rated innings of 159 at MCG in 1910-11 as one of the best 100 ever

2. Younis Khan (Pakistan, born 29 November 1977)
– Often played at his best in adverse conditions or in the fourth innings
– Cricinfo rates three innings by him among the best 100 ever
– In Bengaluru 2004-05: 267 and 84 not out to beat India
– In Pallekele 2015: 171 not out in successful 377-run chase against Sri Lanka
– At The Oval 2016: 218 to secure series-levelling victory against England

3. Waqar Younis (Pakistan, born 16 November 1971)
– Outstanding pace bowler with devastating inswinging yorker
– Career strike-rate: one wicket for each 43 deliveries
– Partnership with Wasim Akram and Imran Khan dominated opposing sides
– Recent rating by Cricinfo: haul of 5/22 in Hamilton in 1993 among the best 100 of all time

4. Ian Botham (England, born 24 November 1955)
– Aggressive batsman and swing bowler
– One of the game’s finest all-rounders
– Rated by Cricinfo among the best England XI in 2010
– Rated by Cricinfo innings of 149 not out in 1981 as the ninth-best-ever, and his haul of 7/48 in Mumbai in 1980 as the 22nd best of all time

5. Stanley Jackson (England, born 21 November 1870)
– English cricket royalty, graceful batsman, fast-medium bowler
– Served in Boer War, member of parliament, Governor of Bengal, chairman of the Conservative Party, president of the MCC, chairman of England selectors
– Jackson’s Year in 1905: series victory, all five tosses won, topped batting and bowling averages

6. Keith Miller (Australia, born 28 November 1919) (vc)
– Born leader, classical batsman, fiery pace bowler
– Named in all-time Australian XI by Cricinfo
– ICC all-rounder ranking peaked in 1952 as fourth-highest of all time
– Against England in 1946-47: 384 runs at 76.80, and took 16 wickets at 20.87

7. Adam Gilchrist (Australia, born 14 November 1971)
– Redefined the role of wicketkeeper-batsman
– Scoring rate of 81.95 runs per 100 balls, and averaging above 50
– Cricinfo named him in all-time Australian XI and World XI
– Recent rating by Cricinfo: innings of 149 not out against Pakistan in Hobart in 1999-2000 among the best 100 ever played

8. Dudley Nourse (South Africa, born 12 November 1910)
– One of his nation’s greatest batsmen
– Cricinfo named him in its all-time South Africa XI
– Old Trafford 1947: scored 115 on a rain-affected pitch
– Trent Bridge 1951: scored a match-winning 208 with a broken thumb

9. Herbert Sutcliffe (England, born 24 November 1894)
– One of England’s greatest opening batsmen
– Concentration and the hook shot among his greatest strengths
– Averaged 66.85 in Ashes games, six centuries in 14 Tests in Australia alone

10. Harold Larwood (England, born 14 November 1904)
– Exceptionally fast bowler best known for his role in the Bodyline series
– Great accuracy and coal-miner’s strength
– In the controversial series in 1932-33, he took 33 wickets at 19.51