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.
Also Read: Greatest England Test XI of all time
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.
#5 Openers
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.