Harsh Thakor
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Here I am trying to analyze in order of merit the strongest team on paper or the most powerful or talented team man a-man .I am not going on the basis of records but just asessing talent.
1.South Africa 1999- Placed on top because of it's outstanding batting depth ,great pace attack,outstanding fielding and great number of allrounders.Imagine having all-rounders of the stature of Kallis,Kluesener,Pollock and Cronje who could all turn games , batsmen like Mark Boucher at no 9.,pacemen like Alan Donald and Shaun Pollock and fielders like Jonty Rhodes.Lance Kluesener was the best man to bang the final nails in the coffin,being the most explosive bat ever in the final stages of an innings in a world cup.Sadly this unit lacked match-winning killer instinct or temperament to win a cup.Perhaps also truly great batsmen in the middle -order .
2.Pakistan 1999
Had the most potent,versatile or lethal attack than any team ever with the likes.of Wasim ,Waqar,Shoaib,Saqlain and Razzak.Also had some class all-rounders in Azhar Mehmood,Abdur Razzaq and Wasim Akram himself.Great batsmen in Saed Anwar ,Mohammad Younus and Inzamam who could be as explosive as anybody on their day.Wicketkeeper Moin was a more than handy batsmen.Had batting depth upto no 9.Arguably no team had more match-winners.
3=.Australia 2003 and 2007
Reminiscent of a cricketing machine revealing superiority over adversaries at a height or margin never reached before.Rolled over oposition with consistency as no team before.Posessed the greatest spinner ever in Warne,the greatest batting match-winner in Gilchrist,the best fast medium bowler of all in Mcgrath and arguably the bets Aussie batsmen since Bradman in Ponting.In addition had match-winners like Hayden ,Langer,Martyn,Symonds ,Bevan etc.Brett Lee also gave great poise to their bowling attack.
5=.West Indies 1979 and 1983
May have lost the final in 83 but still the best side of the tournament.Imagine the likes of Garner,Marshal,Roberts and Holding bowling in tandem as well as batsmen like Haynes,Greenidge,Richards,Lloyd,Gomes and Dujon together.It could paralyse any team inspite of not having a genuine spinner and no specialist allrounder.Not as a great a fielding side as Australia or South Africa at its best and not as much bating depth as the best Pakistani or South African sides.1979 team that won almost the same apart from the inclusion of Kalicharan,Andy Roberts and Croft.
7.Pakistan 1979
A team that gave the might West Indies the closest run for its money in the semi-final.At one stage chasing a target of 293 Pakistan looked cruising home before a middle-order collapse.Arguably the best ever batting line up ever in a world cup with Imran Khan at no 9.Stars like Majid Khan ,Zaheer Abbas,Asif Iqbal,Javed Miandad and Imran Khan all together.With proper application may well have won the cup.
8.South Africa 1992
Incredible reserves of talent particularly of all-rounders and fast bowlers.Also some great strikers with the bat.On paper an all-time great team .Imagine the likes of Alan Donald,Brian Macmillan,Adrian Kuiper,Devilliers,Cronje Wessels and Hudson all together.
9.England 1992
One of the most balanced teams with a plethora of all-round cricketers like Ian Botham and Dermot Reeves.An epitome of consistency till it faded out in the final to Pakistan.
10.India of 2011
Talent in every department with match-winners like Yuvraj,Raina and Dhoni and versatlity.Tendulkar also had a key role to play as well as the likes of Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh.
11=India and Pakistan of 1987
Both teams were simply great powerhouses of talent.Pakistan had a more versatile bowling attack,India had more talented batsmen.Significant that Kapil Dev had a superior record as an ODI allrounder than Imran .Both teams batted upto no 10 but ironically failed to qualify for the final.
1.South Africa 1999- Placed on top because of it's outstanding batting depth ,great pace attack,outstanding fielding and great number of allrounders.Imagine having all-rounders of the stature of Kallis,Kluesener,Pollock and Cronje who could all turn games , batsmen like Mark Boucher at no 9.,pacemen like Alan Donald and Shaun Pollock and fielders like Jonty Rhodes.Lance Kluesener was the best man to bang the final nails in the coffin,being the most explosive bat ever in the final stages of an innings in a world cup.Sadly this unit lacked match-winning killer instinct or temperament to win a cup.Perhaps also truly great batsmen in the middle -order .
2.Pakistan 1999
Had the most potent,versatile or lethal attack than any team ever with the likes.of Wasim ,Waqar,Shoaib,Saqlain and Razzak.Also had some class all-rounders in Azhar Mehmood,Abdur Razzaq and Wasim Akram himself.Great batsmen in Saed Anwar ,Mohammad Younus and Inzamam who could be as explosive as anybody on their day.Wicketkeeper Moin was a more than handy batsmen.Had batting depth upto no 9.Arguably no team had more match-winners.
3=.Australia 2003 and 2007
Reminiscent of a cricketing machine revealing superiority over adversaries at a height or margin never reached before.Rolled over oposition with consistency as no team before.Posessed the greatest spinner ever in Warne,the greatest batting match-winner in Gilchrist,the best fast medium bowler of all in Mcgrath and arguably the bets Aussie batsmen since Bradman in Ponting.In addition had match-winners like Hayden ,Langer,Martyn,Symonds ,Bevan etc.Brett Lee also gave great poise to their bowling attack.
5=.West Indies 1979 and 1983
May have lost the final in 83 but still the best side of the tournament.Imagine the likes of Garner,Marshal,Roberts and Holding bowling in tandem as well as batsmen like Haynes,Greenidge,Richards,Lloyd,Gomes and Dujon together.It could paralyse any team inspite of not having a genuine spinner and no specialist allrounder.Not as a great a fielding side as Australia or South Africa at its best and not as much bating depth as the best Pakistani or South African sides.1979 team that won almost the same apart from the inclusion of Kalicharan,Andy Roberts and Croft.
7.Pakistan 1979
A team that gave the might West Indies the closest run for its money in the semi-final.At one stage chasing a target of 293 Pakistan looked cruising home before a middle-order collapse.Arguably the best ever batting line up ever in a world cup with Imran Khan at no 9.Stars like Majid Khan ,Zaheer Abbas,Asif Iqbal,Javed Miandad and Imran Khan all together.With proper application may well have won the cup.
8.South Africa 1992
Incredible reserves of talent particularly of all-rounders and fast bowlers.Also some great strikers with the bat.On paper an all-time great team .Imagine the likes of Alan Donald,Brian Macmillan,Adrian Kuiper,Devilliers,Cronje Wessels and Hudson all together.
9.England 1992
One of the most balanced teams with a plethora of all-round cricketers like Ian Botham and Dermot Reeves.An epitome of consistency till it faded out in the final to Pakistan.
10.India of 2011
Talent in every department with match-winners like Yuvraj,Raina and Dhoni and versatlity.Tendulkar also had a key role to play as well as the likes of Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh.
11=India and Pakistan of 1987
Both teams were simply great powerhouses of talent.Pakistan had a more versatile bowling attack,India had more talented batsmen.Significant that Kapil Dev had a superior record as an ODI allrounder than Imran .Both teams batted upto no 10 but ironically failed to qualify for the final.
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