The former England pace bowler, James Anderson, made his choice in selecting his all-time eleven during a discussion on Talk Sports Cricket. Having been part of international cricket for nearly two decades, the fast bowler came across so many giants of the game in the international circuit.
James Anderson recently retired from international cricket as the third leading wicket-taker of the longest format with 704 wickets in 188 Tests at an average of below 27 and a strike rate of 56.8, shouldering on 32 five-wicket hauls and as many four-wicket hauls along with three ten-wicket hauls with a best of 7/42 in an innings. His final red-ball fixture was against West Indies at Lord’s in June this year.
The Lancashire pacer went with his former captain, Alastair Cook, and the former Indian opening batter, Virender Sehwag, as the two opening batters. The left-handed Essex batter finished with 12472 runs in 161 Tests at an average of 45.35, while the Delhi-born managed 8586 runs in 104 Tests at a strike rate of over 82.
No Jasprit Bumrah in James Anderson’s all-time Test eleven
Virat Kohli is at number three for James Anderson in the list, followed by the leading Test run-getter of England in the longest format, Joe Root. The former Indian captain has gathered 9167 runs in 122 Tests at an average of 47.49, while Root is the fifth on the list with 12972 runs at an average of nearly 51.
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Quite incredible, but Sachin Tendulkar has been slotted at number five for the Burnley boy among the players. The former Indian batter is at the top of the list with 15921 runs in 200 Tests at an average of 53.78, thanks to his 51 centuries and 68 half-centuries, with the best score of an unbeaten 248 runs.
In the all-rounder’s position, Anderson has gone with the former premier player of his country, Andre Flintoff, who has carried a knack for winning any game for England in any situation. The right-handed batter drilled 3845 runs in 79 Tests at a strike rate of 62, besides picking up 226 wickets at an average of 32.78.
The lone wicket-keeper of the side is Rishabh Pant, who has taken the world Test cricket by storm. The left-handed batter has smashed 2789 runs in 41 red-ball games at an average of 42.25 with a strike rate of 74.73, shouldering on six centuries and 14 half-centuries. He reverse-scooped James Anderson in a Test in Ahmedabad.
Surprisingly, the pacer hasn’t gone with either Rohit Sharma or Ben Stokes in the list. In the spin department, he didn’t have any doubt in keeping the late great Shane Warne in the side. The former leg-spinner finished as the second-highest wicket-taker of the format with 708 wickets in 145 games at an average of 25.41.
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In the pace department, James Anderson kept his crime partner Stuart Broad in the side who retired last year with 604 Test scalps in 167 games at an average of 27.68. Glenn McGrath is also on the list with the help of 563 scalps in 124 games at an average of 21.64 and a strike rate of 51.95.
Dale Steyn is the tenth leading wicket-taker of South Africa with the help of 439 wickets in 93 games at an average of 22.95, shouldering on 27 five-wicket hauls.
James Anderson’s All-time Test 11
Alastair Cook, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Sachin Tendulkar, Andrew Flintoff, Rishabh Pant (wk.), Shane Warne, Stuart Broad, Glenn McGrath, Dale Steyn.