England’s wicket-keeper batsmen Jonny Bairstow has picked his all time best playing XI.
MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are two of the best players the cricketing fraternity has seen in the last decade. As a captain, Dhoni has led team India to all the ICC trophies there are on Earth. Modern Day legend Virat Kohli has reached to the No.1 Spot in ICC Rankings several times in his career and has broken multiple records.
Hence, it was shocking to see not one of them feature in the Englishman’s playing XI. Although there were a lot of South African cricketers in the list but the only Indian cricketer to make it to his list is legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
Bairstow has backed former England skipper Alaistair Cook to become the captain of his side. Former Proteas cricketer Hashim Amla and Brian Lara have made it to his playing XI. Bairstow has allotted the No.4 spot to all time great Sachin Tendulkar. At No.5 he has placed former South African skipper AB De Villiers.
“Sachin Tendulkar at No.4, the all-time leading run-scorer, the magician, he was absolutely fantastic for such long period of time. No.5 and wicket-keeper AB de Villiers, he is just doing the things people are never dreamt of doing in ODI, Tests, and T20Is,” the 32-year-old said.
Bairstow has picked former Proteas all rounder Jacques Kallis and has named England’s red ball skipper Joe Root in the squad. Root is followed by ex-Australian leg spinner Shane Warner and Mitchell Johnson. James Anderson and Dale Steyn are the final two players in his playing XI.
Jonny Bairstow All-Time 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.