Matt Prior excludes Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan from all-time XI

Former English wicket-keeper Matt Prior has shared his all-time XI and Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian on the list. Matt Prior was a successful wicket-keeper for the English team having played 79 Tests for the Three Lions and scored 4,099 runs at an average of 40.18. Recently, Kumar Sangakkara announced his all-time XI in which he excluded Sachin Tendulkar but the Mumbaikar found a place in Prior’s squad. Four English cricketers and three South African cricketers make the XI and Graeme Swann is the only spinner in the list.

The South-African born English cricketer played some memorable knocks during his career and one such knock was the 118 runs he scored against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground during the 2010-11 Ashes which England won 3-1.

Prior scored a century in his Test debut and become the first English wicket-keeper to achieve the feat for the European nation. He retired from all forms of cricket in 2015 after he suffered a recurring Achilles tendon injury.

Steve Waugh is the skipper of Prior’s team and the Englishman stated that the mentality Waugh brought to the game and the dressing room was invaluable. Besides that, Prior chose English cricketer Alastair Cook and South African Hashim Amla to open the innings.

Both the openers have a phenomenal record in their respective careers and are assets to every team they play for. As per the Lord’s official Twitter handle, Prior said, “Absolutely incredible player (De Villiers) in all conditions against all times of playing and is a guy who can take the game away from the opposition.”

It was quite surprising to see Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne, two of the most successful spinners ever to play the game not included in the All-Time XI. No players from Pakistan, New Zealand, and West Indies feature in Matt Prior’s squad.

Prior’s all time XI: Alastair Cook, Hashim Amla, Ricky Ponting, AB de Villiers, Steve Waugh (c), Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Dale Steyn, James Anderson.