Joining the bevy of both former and present cricketers selecting their dream teams, Marcus Trescothick has picked his favorite eleven among those who played with or against him during the early 2000s.
In a video posted on Lord’s Cricket Ground's official Youtube Account, the 40-year old who represented England in 76 Tests and 123 ODIs assembled a strong contingent comprising of some of the most reliable players in the modern era.
After making 5825 Test runs at an average of 43.79 and 4335 ODI runs at an average of 37.37, the stylish left-hander had to bid adieu from the international arena due to stress-related issues.
Opening for him will be a gritty combination of Alastair Cook and Graeme Smith. While admitting that the latter’s batting style did not look pretty, Trescothick heaped praises on the ex-South African skipper’s ability to ‘get the job done’.
Expressing immense satisfaction in playing alongside Ricky Ponting for Somerset, he named the Australian as the captain of his squad. Following him in the middle-order would be the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.
On Tendulkar’s accomplishments, Trescothick quipped, “(He) is the greatest player ever, changed the atmosphere of the game whenever he came into bat – especially in the subcontinent, in India. (He was) a brilliant player to play against.”
Recalling his tryst with the ball during Lara’s record-breaking knock at Antigua in 2004, he felt, “The genius of the team, Brian Lara was an absolutely phenomenal player to play against. Luckily or unluckily, I managed to bowl a few overs at him when he got 400. He sort of took the game apart and could do things no one else could do.”
Also Read: Jason Roy picks Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara and Ian Bishop in his all-time XI
Hailing Jacques Kallis as the ‘best all-rounder to have played the game’, Trescothick believed that his inclusion would bolster the balance of his side. Rounding up the batting department, wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist's presence at number seven should certainly make matters worse for the opposition.
Shane Warne got the nod for his immaculate control and deeply competitive nature while Wasim Akram's exceptional skills as well as a left-armer's option managed to convince the opener.
However, there might be a tussle for first use of the new-ball with a swing/seam pairing of James Anderson and Glenn McGrath offering plenty of options alongside Akram’s smart utilization of the crease. Apart from the lack of a second spinner to partner Warne, Trescothick’s team does not seem to possess too many chinks in its armor.
Marcus Trescothick’s All-Time XI: Alastair Cook, Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting (c), Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, James Anderson and Glenn McGrath
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