Greatest England ODI XI of all time

Among the top eight nations considered to be the major powers in the game, England are the only team yet to win an ICC ODI tournament. They have come agonisingly close on quite a few occasions but somehow managed to fall short at the final hurdle.

After reaching three finals and two semifinals from the first five editions of the World Cup, their ODI game took a turn for the worse. Following several false dawns, they have finally assembled a team capable of embracing the intricacies of the 50-over format.

Considering their plethora of explosive stars in the current lineup, England's all time ODI XI might get skewed towards the modern generation. In order to standardise players from all eras, a minimum cut-off of 2000 runs or 100 wickets has placed on the contenders.

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#5 Openers

Graham Gooch is England's leading run-scorer in World Cup history

Before the likes of Alex Hales and Jason Roy began flaying bowling attacks from the top of the order, England had a swashbuckling opener in Marcus Trescothick during a time when they were generally considered cannon fodder in ODIs. From his debut in 2000 till stress-related exodus in 2006, the stylish left-hander was a rarity in the England lineup. Armed with a free-spirited approach to batting, he scored 4335 runs from 123 matches at an average of 37.37 and strike-rate of 85.21 with 12 centuries as well as 21 fifties.

Beneath the twirling moustache and upright stance, Graham Gooch utilised his technical know-how as well as extensive array of shots to keep even menacing bowlers at bay. The remorseless accumulator of runs was the bulwark of England batting during the formative years of limited-overs cricket. From 125 ODIs, he piled on 4290 runs at an average of 36.98 with 31 fifty-plus scores. A strike-rate of 61.88 may seem too low by modern standards. However, the game was a lot different back then and hence numbers have to be judged accordingly. Gooch, who led England to runners-up position in the 1992 World Cup, also captains their all time XI.

#4 Middle-order

The prospect of Kevin Pietersen and Joe Root batting together would be irresistible

With 4226 runs from just 102 matches thus far, Joe Root is already perched at number eight in the list of England's all time run-scorers in ODIs. It is almost certain that the 27-year old will leave all of his countrymen far behind by the time he eventually rides off into the sunset. A remarkable average of 50.91 is further vindication of his immense appetite for runs. His adaptable batting allows the other England batsmen to take risks without a second thought.

Hailing from Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, Kevin Pietersen stepped into Nottinghamshire in a search of greener pastures. Before his audacious stroke-play left everyone in enchantment during the 2005 Ashes, the flamboyant right-hander foretold of his gifted batting skills by reeling off three centuries in a productive ODI series against the nation of his birth. Until his repudiation in the 2013/14 season, he played 136 matches in the 50-over format and scored 4440 runs at a domineering strike-rate of 86.58.

At the forefront of England's recent white-ball revolution, Eoin Morgan has infused dynamism into the limited-overs setup with his imaginative captaincy and enterprising batting. The left-hander has represented England in 172 ODIs thus far and compiled 5156 runs at an average of 37.91 and strike-rate of 91.15 with ten centuries as well as 29 fifties. With Gooch taking up primary leadership duties in this star-studded outfit, Morgan may have to settle for the vice-captain's role.

#3 Wicket-keeper & All-rounders

Andrew Flintoff's ability to contribute with both bat and ball made him an indispensable player

At the moment, it would be incredibly difficult to find a harder hitter of the cricket ball than Jos Buttler. During the course of the last couple of years, the dynamic right-hander has rapidly risen to become an integral part of the new age England batting lineup. He has featured in 104 ODIs thus far and plundered 2672 runs at an average of 37.63 and astounding strike-rate of 117.39 with five centuries as well as 14 fifties. As evidenced by his collection of 133 catches and 18 stumpings, his glove-work is top-notch too.

When he burst onto the scene during the late 1990s, Andrew Flintoff was instantly earmarked as England's brightest hope in the ODI circuit. Capable of turning the match with either bat and ball, he grew from strength to strength to finish as his team's best all-rounder in the 50-over format. The attacking right-hander scored 3394 runs from 141 ODIs at a strike-rate of 88.82. Alongside his blistering hitting, he also troubled opposition lineups with his bustling pace. 169 wickets at a splendid average of 24.38 and economy-rate of 4.39 stands as testament to his prowess with the ball.

On face value, Sir Ian Botham's style of game-plashould have been perfect for ODIs. However, for all his legendary performances in Tests, the great all-rounder underachieved in the limited-overs format. Nevertheless, he showed glimpses of his genius from time to time in ODIs. The Cheshire-born icon played 116 matches and scored 2113 runs at an average of 23.21 and strike-rate of 79.10 with 9 fifties. He did pick up 145 scalps at an excellent economy-rate of 3.96.

#2 Bowlers

Darren Gough is unarguably England's greatest ODI bowler

Surprisingly, only one spinner finds a place in the list of top ten wicket-takers in England's ODI history. With Test cricket taking precedence during his stint at the highest level, Graeme Swann played only 79 ODIs. He picked 104 wickets at an average of 27.76 and economy-rate of 4.54 with a career-best haul of 5/28. The classical off-spinner reached the top of the ODI bowling rankings during July 2011.

During the mid to late 1990s, Darren Gough was probably the only England cricketer to come to terms with the evolving white-ball game. With his lively pace and penchant for finding the block hole in the end overs, the stockily-built fast bowler carried his team's bowling fortunes almost singlehandedly. Before calling it quits in 2006, he played 159 ODIs and collected 235 wickets at an impressive average of 26.42 and stellar economy-rate of 4.39.

With a combined tally of 810 international scalps thus far, James Anderson is England's all time leading wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs. 269 of those came in the 50-over format. At the peak of his powers, an immaculate control of swing made him a lethal new-ball bowler. An economy-rate of 4.92 is quite reasonable for a bowler of his ilk in the modern era. It seems highly unlikely that he will get an opportunity to add to his 194 appearances in ODIs.

#1 12th man and Full Lineup

Determination and dedication shaped Paul Collingwood's memorable career

With his tenacious batting from the lower-order as well as handy seam-ups, Paul Collingwood can provide an adequate back-up all-round option to the playing eleven. From 197 ODIs, he amassed 5092 runs at an average of 35.36 and strike-rate of 76.98 with 5 centuries and 26 fifties.

Among all England batsmen, only Ian Bell and Eoin Morgan have scored more ODI runs. In addition to his tally of runs, Collingwood also picked up 111 wickets at an economy-rate of 4.96 and secured 108 catches. For the vast majority of his career, his fielding ranked among the best in the game.

England's All Time ODI XI

Marcus Trescothick, Graham Gooch (c), Joe Root, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan (vc), Jos Buttler (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Sir Ian Botham, Graeme Swann, Darren Gough and James Anderson

12th man - Paul Collingwood