English wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow has picked his all-time XI and joined a big list of current and former cricketers who have done the same.
According to the prevailing rules and regulations, ‘the criteria for selection is players they have played with, against or have been influenced by’.
Bairstow named former England captain and their highest run-getter ever Alastair Cook to open the batting alongside South Africa’s Hashim Amla.
At no.3, Bairstow decided to go with the West Indian batting great Brian Lara. Lara holds the record of being the only batsman to have scored 400 in a Test match and is the highest run getter for his country.
Just like many other cricketers, Bairstow too decided to pick Sachin Tendulkar at no. 4 in his batting line-up. The Master Blaster is the all-time leading run scorer in both the Test and the ODI format and is the only cricketer to have scored 100 international centuries.
The Englishman went on to pick two South Africans in the form of AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis to make up the 5th and 6th position in his team.
The only surprise in Bairstow’s team is the picking of current England Test skipper Joe Root at number 7. The wicketkeeper felt that Root deserves to be in his team but due to the firepower at the top of the order, he would have to settle at the 7th position.
The bowling department consists of two Australians in the form of the legendary Shane Warne and the fearsome Mitchell Johnson. To complement them and to complete the side are South African speedster Dale Steyn and England’s all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson.
Jonny Bairstow’s XI:
Alastair Cook (captain), Hashim Amla, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, AB de Villiers (wk), Jacques Kallis, Joe Root, Shane Warne, Mitchell Johnson, Dale Steyn, James Anderson.
