Jonny Bairstow's all-time XI: Joe Root and AB de Villiers included, Virat Kohli ignored
English wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow recently picked his All Time XI. The 26 year old has established a place in the middle order in all three formats of the game for the England setup and has plenty to be pleased about at the moment. He is the 3rd Englishman after David Willey and Alex Hales to pick their teams. Cricketers like Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne have become constant features in this series, and it would be no different this time.
Read: Jason Gillespie, Kumar Sangakkara and David Willey pick their All Time XIs
Bairstow chose Alastair Cook to open the batting with South African Hashim Amla. He picks Cook as captain and says that it was a very easy decision for him given that Cook is the highest run scorer for England in Test history. He uses three words to describe what Amla brings to the table – flair, sustinability and uniqueness.
West Indian Brian Lara slots in at #3, Bairstow adds that Lara was a very influential figure having scored 400 in a Test match and 500 in a First-class match. Sachin Tendulkar comes in next at #4 and South African AB de Villiers at #5. Bairstow calls Sachin a magician and remarks that the longevity of his career was remarkable. AB will wear the wicket-keeping gloves as well, adding that AB does things that people can only dream of doing in all 3 formats of the game. Another South African Jacques Kallis comes it at #6, Bairstow adds that Kallis was a monster in the slips, apart from his skills with the bat and the ball.
He includes his compatriot Joe Root at #7, he would have to be content with the role lower in the batting-order. At #8, he includes his first Australian in Mitchell Johnson, adding that he was absolutely ferocious with the ball in England and Australia. Dale Steyn at #9, remarking that his skills with the ball were just ridiculous, good with the new ball and deadly with reverse swing with the old ball. He picks Shane Warne as his only spinner, another player who was exceptional in the slips and one who brings his tenaciousness every single day. To round up the team, he picks James Anderson for his ability to swing it both ways in all conditions.
Full team: Alastair Cook (C), Hashim Alma, Brain Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Joe Root, Mitchell Johnson, Dale Steyn, Shane Warne, James Anderson