Regular readers of my witterings will know that Test Cricket holds sway for me. It’s what makes cricket great.
So the Champions Trophy currently being played in England has got me thinking…what is the best XI for England in recent times?
The first question, बेशक, आप कैसे परिभाषित करते है 'हाल ही में'? Well for the purposes of this article I have decided on the debut test of middle order left handed batsman Graham Thorpe.
थोर्प की तैयार तीसरे एशेज टेस्ट मैच में पदार्पण किया 1993 के बीच आयोजित 1 तथा 6 July. थोर्प पहली फिल्म पर एक टन कर दिया. अच्छा लड़का.
इतना, कि परीक्षण के लिए अपनी टीम के साथियों लेने के लिए:
The England openers for that test were Mark Lathwell and Mike Atherton. Lathwell only ended up playing two tests so can be easily put to one side. I will revisit ‘Athers’ later.
मध्यक्रम रॉबिन स्मिथ से बना हुआ था, wicket-keeper batsman Alec Stewar as well as Graham Gooch, Thorpe and lastly Nasser Hussain.
Robin Smith and Graham Gooch were brilliant players but were coming to the end of their careers in this test so I’ve left them out. थोर्प, Nasser and Stewart make the shortlist. All three were excellent servants for their country, scoring in excess of 25,000 परीक्षण उन दोनों के बीच चलाता है. महान प्रयास.
Fast medium pace bowler Andy Caddick who took 234 wickets for England led the attack. उन्होंने विचार किया जाना है.
But the other three bowling spots were occupied by Mark Ilott, Peter Such and Martin McCague and they only played 19 उन दोनों के बीच परीक्षण.
So out of Thorpe’s debut test we have a shortlist of Atherton, Stewart, Hussain, थोर्प और कैडिक.
Moving forward and batsmen to consider are, in the opening position, एंड्रयू Stauss, Marcus Trescothick, माइकल वॉन, current captain Alastair Cook and Mark Butcher. I’m considering Stewart as a middle order keeper/batsman. It’s a difficult choice – six quality batsmen but only two places. मुझे लगता है कि कुक में वहाँ जाना है. He is pure quality and has delivered the goods time and time again for England and seems to revel in the role as captain. The one remaining spot goes to Michael Vaughan. He was an incredibly classy player and brings a useful back up spin option to the side. He is also my captain. ट्रेस्को पर बहुत मेहनत, स्ट्रॉस और बुच लेकिन कड़े फैसले की जरूरत!
In the middle order I have four spots available. मेरे विकल्प? कुंआ, थोर्प, Hussain and Stewart are already short listed. Add into the mix Kevin Pieterson, Paul Collingwood, जोनाथन ट्रॉट, इयान बेल और मार्क रामप्रकाश (only kidding) and I have some very difficult choices to make. थोर्प मेरे लिए वहाँ में हो गया है. मैं एक बड़े पैमाने प्रशंसक रहा हूँ. Kevin Pieterson needs to be in there too – when on song there is no one better. I’m going to plumb for Trott as my anchor of the innings so one more spot.…I’m going to go for Alec Stewart. Just. Hussain and Collingwood were very gutsy players with Collingwood presenting a useful backup bowling option. He was also a word-class fielder. इयान बेल लगभग रन बनाए हो सकता है 6,000 test match runs but I’ve never been 100% convinced he fully belongs. Stewart ultimately gets the nod because he can keep wicket, freeing up another bowling position.
So that means no place for Mattie Prior in the middle-order. That was an incredibly close call – there is so little to choose between Stewart and Prior – both destructive batsmen, both good keepers. On another day Prior could have easily got the nod.
तो फिर हम ऑलराउंडर की जगह के लिए बारी. That goes to Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff. No discussion needed. He would have made it in as a bowler even if he couldn’t bat. But by goodness could he bat as well when hitting bemused Aussies to all-corners of the ground. Marvellous stuff.
Because I have Stewart as my keeper/batsmen I have room for five bowlers (including Fred). मैं एक चार सूत्री तेज गेंदबाजी आक्रमण और एक स्पिन विकल्प के लिए जा रहा हूँ. फ्रेड पहली जगह है. Cadddick has already been shortlisted so those being added to that are Darren ‘Dazzler’ Gough, Ashes heroes Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Steve Harmison and then the current crop of quicks Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. Dominic Cork can perhaps count himself unlucky not to make the shortlist.
Goughie should be in there. A great bowler and a genuine character, वह बल्लेबाजी कर सकता है थोड़ा सा भी.
His one-time Yorkshire team-mate Matthew Hoggard gets a spot too. Perhaps it’s a little bit of my Yorkshire bias shining through. But there’s an old saying in English cricket – when Yorkshire are strong, England are strong.
एक और जगह है और कहा कि जिमी को जाता है. His sheer weight of wickets gets him in.
As for the spin option – there can only be one bowler surely? Graeme Swann is in there head and shoulders above all other contenders (Monty and Ashley Giles).
और मेरा 12th आदमी? पाठ्यक्रम के सुपर उप गैरी प्रैट हो गया है. Sorry Mr Ponting – I couldn’t resist!
“गुलाबी गेंद ग्रे/नीली लाल/हरे रंग की कमी दृष्टि में दिखाई देती है, इसकी गंभीरता के आधार पर. मैंने कलर ब्लाइंडनेस के साथ एक अनुकरण किया…”