Alastair Cook picks his all-time playing XI: No Indian player gets a spot
England’s batting great Alastair Cook has picked his all-time playing XI, and surprisingly no Indian cricketer has found a place in it.
SNS | September 5, 2018 11:46 am
England’s batting great Alastair Cook has picked his all-time playing XI, and surprisingly no Indian cricketer has found a place in it.
In a video posted by Lord’s Cricket Ground on their official Facebook page, Alastair Cook revealed his all-time XI.
Here is the video:
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The 33-year-old Cook said he picked his playing XI from the pool of players he has played with or against, with an exception in the form of former England cricketer Graham Gooch. Cook has named Gooch the skipper of his team.
The likes of Matthew Hayden, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, AB de Villiers, Kumar Sangakkara and Jacques Kallis also found a place in Cook’s all-time playing XI.
Cook has also picked two former spinners in form of Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. Bowling greats James Anderson and Glenn McGrath were included in his side as the two fast bowlers.
Earlier, Cook announced his retirement from international cricket on Sunday. Cook will play his last international match against India at the Oval. After announcing his retirement, Cook had said: “After much thought and deliberation over the last few months I have decided to announce my retirement from international cricket at the end of this Test series against India.”
He added: “Although it is a sad day, I can do so with a big smile on my face knowing I have given everything and there is nothing left in the tank. I have achieved more than I could have ever imagined and feel very privileged to have played for such a long time alongside some of the greats of the English game. The thought of not sharing the dressing room, again, with some of my teammates was the hardest part of my decision, but I know the timing is right.
“I have loved cricket my whole life from playing in the garden as a child and will never underestimate how special it is to pull on an England shirt. So I know it is the right time to give the next generation of young cricketers their turn to entertain us and feel the immense pride that comes with representing your country.”
Jimmy will be 43 by the next Ashes and I don’t see him being able to do the hard yards on tough, bone hard pitches and in hot weather. England have to find some young seamers who can bowl 20 overs and come back the next day ready for more,” he wrote in his column in The Telegraph.
The day was special for English skipper Ben Stokes, who claimed the wicket of Rohit with his first delivery of the series, having not bowled competitively since the second Test of last year’s Ashes. A sharply seaming ball that hit Rohit’s off stump as he resumed his innings after the lunch break brought some relief to the English camp as it ended a sedate 171-run stand for the second wicket between Sharma and Gill.
After winning the toss, England got off to a positive start with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett enduring a tough first hour in swinging conditions before lifting the visitors to 64 for 0 with their seventh 45-plus stand in nine partnerships on this tour. However, that scoreline was 175 for 6 by the time Ben Stokes became Kuldeep’s fifth and final scalp, and ultimately 218 all out with Ashwin running through the tail.