Comparison of Test teams across decades - Who is the strongest?

[Ted123]

I have created a test XI from each of the past four decades in which I have tried figuring ATG cricketers from each team to understand which team is the strongest of all mentioned teams. Below is the XI for each decade:-

1980s XI:-

Gavaskar
Greenidge
Viv
Miandad
AB(c)
Botham
Dujjon(wkt)
Imran
Hadlee
Marshall
Qadir

Total ATG cricketer- 8

1990s XI:-

Anwar
Taylor
Lara
Tendulkar
Waugh(c)
Flower
Healy/Stewart(wkt)
Warne
Wasim
Donald
Ambrose

Total ATG cricketers- 7

2000s XI:-

Hayden
Smith(c)
Ponting
Tendulkar
Kallis
Pietersen
Gilchrist (wkt)
Warne
Steyn
McGrath
Murali

Total ATG cricketers-8

2010s XI:-

Cook
Warner/Azhar Ali
Sangakkara
S Smith
Kohli(c)
ABD(wkt)
Shakib/Stokes
Ashwin
Philander
Steyn
Anderson

Total ATG cricketers- 4

I think it's close between 80s and 00s but bowling is best for 90s. Which team is the strongest as per your XI? Discuss!

 

[Ab Fan]

80s look the strongest. There is not much that separates Greenidge with Hayden or Smith. The only changes you would make from 1980s XI to an all-time XI will be:-

<B>Dujon out, Gilchrist in.
Miandad out, Tendulkar/Lara in.
Qadir out, Warne in.</B>

Rest all will be same.

Gavaskar
Greenidge
Viv
Tendulkar/Lara
Border(c)
Gilchrist (wkt)
Botham
Imran
Hadlee
Warne
Marshall

 

[Bhaijaan]

2010s team looks like a bunch of little chics about to be crushed in a Grindr

1980 looks dangerous. They will destroy everyone else.

Will be 1980s vs 2000s final where 1980s team will knock them down

 

[Ab Fan]

2000s XI are very close as well. They have everything in their stock as well. A combined XI of 80s and 00s can easily make my all-time test XI.

Gavaskar
Smith
Viv
Tendulkar
Border
Kallis
Gilchrist (wkt)
Imran
Warne
Steyn/Hadlee
McGrath

 

[big_gamer007]

2000 looks slightly better than 80s just because of Warne + Murali ..

 

[MMHS]

Without any hesitation, I'll take the team of 1980s as the best, in fact by far best if we take the peak 5 years of players from that decade.

My 12 will be: Grineedge, Doujon+, Viv, Javed, Martin, AB, *Imran, Kapil, Hadlee, Marshall, Qadir & Qasim (On turners, drop Kapil for the 2nd spinner)

The other 2 decades close to it are 1990s: Saeed, Atherton (My personal choice, won't mind Slatter, Taylor or Stewart), Lara, SRT, Steve, Hilley+, Cairns, Pollock, Wasim, Warne, Murali + Inzamam

1970s: Sunny, BA Richards (Boycott), Viv, Greg, *Lloyd, Allen Knott+, Botham, Imran, DK Lillee, A Roberts, BSBedi & Intekhab

I genuinely believe the game reached it's zenith between mid 1970s to mid 2000s with the pick around mid 80s to late 90s.

 

[MMHS]

Without any hesitation, I'll take the team of 1980s as the best, in fact by far best if we take the peak 5 years of players from that decade.

My 12 will be: Grineedge, Doujon+, Viv, Javed, Martin, AB, *Imran, Kapil, Hadlee, Marshall, Qadir & Qasim (On turners, drop Kapil for the 2nd spinner)

The other 2 decades close to it are 1990s: Saeed, Atherton (My personal choice, won't mind Slatter, Taylor or Stewart), Lara, SRT, Steve, Hilley+, Cairns, Pollock, Wasim, Warne, Murali + Inzamam

1970s: Sunny, BA Richards (Boycott), Viv, Greg, *Lloyd, Allen Knott+, Botham, Imran, DK Lillee, A Roberts, BSBedi & Intekhab

I genuinely believe the game reached it's zenith between mid 1970s to mid 2000s with the pick around mid 80s to late 90s.

I have to modify 1990s team a bit (mixed with ODI & Test game): Inzi misses out as 12th man, Pollock goes to 12th man and Ambrose comes in playing XI.