Spectators Will Choose World XI

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30763, 29 May 1965, Page 11

Spectators Will Choose World XI

(Specially written for “The Press” by Norman Stanley.)

~|7VER since international . cricket began, one of the favourite pastimes of cricket enthusiasts has been the selection of their own “World XI” which could be relied upon to beat any other combination of 11 players. Until now this has been just a pleasant pipedream, but at last everyone —in England at least—has been given a chance to select just such a team: a World XI which will play two matches against an England XI at the end of the 1965 season. The two fixtures, to be played at Scarborough and Lord’s respectively, are being organised by the International Cavaliers Cricket Club, which has been responsible for several tours of the West Indies and South Africa by teams drawn from all over the Commonwealth. A wellknown British tobacco company will act as the sponsors and the 8.8. C. will not only televise the matches but also provide the machinery for allowing the public to “select” the World XL

The 8.8.C.’s weekly publication, “Radio Times,”

which has a circulation of several millions, recently invited the public to fill in and return a special voting slip showing each individual’s choice of players. Votes had to be cast for 11 players out of the 21 whom experts had nominated (with great efficiency, in my opinion) as the best from the current test teams of Australia, the West Indies, South Africa, India and Pakistan.

New Zealand is already sure of being represented because John Reid, who retires at the end of the 1965 season, has been invited to lead the World XI without first having to undergo “trial by ballot box.” In each match one of the elected 11 will act as twelfth man.

To prevent a freak team being chosen with, say, nine batsmen, two Wicketkeepers, and no bowlers, the 21 cricketers have been placed in five sections so that voters have to select a fixed quota from each. Thus, six batsmen must be chosen from Barlow, Bland, R. G. Pollock (South Africa), Booth, Simpson, O’Neill (Australia), Hunte, Kanhai (West Indies), Hanif Mohammed (Pakistan) and the Nawab of

Patauli (India); one allrounder from Sobers (West Indies), Nadkarni and Borde (India); either Gibbs (West Indies) or Philpott (Australia) as the slow bowler; two fast bowlers from Griffith, Hall (West Indies), McKenzie (Australia) and P. Pollock (South Africa); and either Grout (Australia) or D. Murray (West Indies) as wicket-keeper. All these players have agreed to play if selected.

The resulting team will be announced on June 10 and it is anybody’s guess which eleven players will be placed at John Reid’s disposal. My own votes were cast for (in suggested batting order): — Simpson, Hunte, Kanhai, Sobers, Hanif Mohammad, R. G. Pollock, O’Neill, Grout, Hall, Griffith, Gibbs. John Reid would nominate the twelfth man (perhaps O’Neill or R. G. Pollock) and fill the gap in the batting order himself. Whatever the final makeup of the team, two things can be said for certain. This will be the first team ever to be selected by the spectators themselves and the strongest cricket team ever to walk on to the field in any part of the world.