What would be your ideal best-ever South Africa-England combined Test XI?

[Ted123]

I will go with this XI:-

Cook
Smith(c)
Kallis
KP
AB
Stokes
Prior(wkt)
Pollock
Swann
Steyn
Donald

Let me know your pick?

 

[sweep_shot]

Smith
Cook
Kallis
Ian Bell
KP
ABD
Boucher (wk)
Pollock (c)
Swann
Steyn
Donald/Anderson

This is a great team.

 

[Robert]

Gooch
Smith(c)
Kallis
Pietersen
ABDV
Thorpe
Knott (wk)
Pollock
Swann
Steyn
Donald

 

[Robert]

Actually take out Thorpe and put in Gower.

 

[Ab Fan]

Best XI that I have seen:-

Cook
Smith(c)
Kallis
KP
AB
Stokes
Boucher(wkt)
Pollock
Swann
Steyn
Donald

2nd XI:-

Kirsten
Vaughan(c)
Amla
Root
Thorpe
Macmillan(saw very bit of him)
Prior(wkt)
Flintoff
Philander
Rabada
Anderson

 

[Robert]

2nd XI I have seen....

Boycott
Kirsten
Stewart (cap)
Rooooot
Thorpe
Botham
Boucher (w)
Broad
Willis
Anderson
Tufnell

 

[FreePalestine]

1. Trescothick
2. Smith (c)
3. Amla (Peak years vintage Amla only)
4. Kallis
5. KP
6. AB
7. De Kock (wk)
8. Pollock
9. Swann
10. Steyn
11. Donald

12. Cook
13. Rabada
14. Anderson
15. Root

 

[FreePalestine]

Ah, forgot about Stewart. Most likely Alec Stewart ahead of QDK

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

Smith
Cook
Kallis
KP
ABD
Stokes
Prior
Swann
Steyn
Morkel
Donald

 

[Last Monetarist]

1. G. Smith (c)
2. Cook
3. Amla
4. Kallis
5. Pietersen
6. de Villiers (wk)
7. Pollock
8. Swann
9. Steyn
10. Donald
11. Anderson

So basically, 3 Englishmen and 8 South Africans.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Second XI:

1. Kirsten
2. Stewart
3. Root (c)
4. R. Smith
5. Thorpe
6. Stokes
7. Flintoff
8. Moeen
9. Boucher (wk)
10. Rabada
11. Broad

Fair too many all-rounders there and ideally you'd have someone other than Root as captain, but on merit those are the best players.

 

[Ab Fan]

1. G. Smith (c)
2. Cook
3. Amla
4. Kallis
5. Pietersen
6. de Villiers (wk)
7. Pollock
8. Swann
9. Steyn
10. Donald
11. Anderson

So basically, 3 Englishmen and 8 South Africans.

It's 4-7.

 

[Last Monetarist]

It's 4-7.

Kevin Pietersen is as much South African as Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers.

 

[Ab Fan]

Second XI:

1. Kirsten
2. Stewart
3. Root (c)
4. R. Smith
5. Thorpe
6. Stokes
7. Flintoff
8. Moeen
9. Boucher (wk)
10. Rabada
11. Broad

Fair too many all-rounders there and ideally you'd have someone other than Root as captain, but on merit those are the best players.

I would have liked to see Strauss or Vaughan at the top as captain and Root going down at 4. What's your take on that?

 

[Last Monetarist]

I would have liked to see Strauss or Vaughan at the top as captain and Root going down at 4. What's your take on that?

I always tend to pick the best players and Stewart and Robin Smith were better batsmen than Vaughan or Strauss. If I want to really pick the best captain for that side, then I'd drop Stokes and select Cronje instead.

 

[Ab Fan]

I always tend to pick the best players and Stewart and Robin Smith were better batsmen than Vaughan or Strauss. If I want to really pick the best captain for that side, then I'd drop Stokes and select Cronje instead.

Vaughan did well as opener or a no.3 and you don't have to compromise the captaincy.

Cronje being involved in match fixing hurts his legacy a bit and Vaughan definitely was a better batsmen. He dominated a series which had McGrath and Warne and got 600+ runs in that and averages very well in top 3.

 

[Ab Fan]

Kevin Pietersen is as much South African as Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers.

Haha..lol..forgot that part.

 

[Mamoon]

Smith (c)
Cook
Amla
Kallis
Pietersen
de Villiers
Boucher (wk)
Pollock
Swann
Steyn
Donald

 

[Last Monetarist]

Vaughan did well as opener or a no.3 and you don't have to compromise the captaincy.

Cronje being involved in match fixing hurts his legacy a bit and Vaughan definitely was a better batsmen. He dominated a series which had McGrath and Warne and got 600+ runs in that and averages very well in top 3.

Fair enough, I'd select Vaughan as opener and drop Boucher while moving Stewart to 6 as keeper.