The only criteria for selection is you have had to have seen the player live in any format or level of cricket!
Ali Cook – There are so many openers who have been admirable, Atherton, Tres and Strauss – but Cook scored hundreds in England, Asia and Australia (and plenty more places). The symmetry of a test ton on his first and final games stands out, but most of all he is the best we have produced, and any England XI needs a good old fashioned opener.
Alec Stewart – 100 in his 100th test is pretty special! Stewie the opener caught my imagination, twin hundreds in Barbados, he scored a lot of runs against Ambrose, Walsh, Bishop, Wasim, Waqar, Donald, Pollock – what an era to average 46 as a specialist batsmen over 50 tests. Bat twirl, shirt collar up, white zinc on and playing top class fast bowling on his own terms – my original hero.
Joe Root – Sorry Joe, I know you don’t like no3 but I need to find a space for you. A batting record all around the world that has to be admired, a touch player who makes the very difficult look very easy. I love a little bit of that round arm off spin too and an infectious personality – all of which I think occasionally allows us to forget how good a batsman he is.
Graham Thorpe – Possibly the best I have seen for England – 100 on debut V Warne – could hook, pull and cut with the best of them and developed into one of the best players of spin we have had. Tough, and a brilliant reader of the game. That amazing run a ball double 100 V New Zealand and then backs to the wall knocks with no boundaries in Asia. He coped a little bit of flak in the early years for his conversion rate, but Thoprie bat raised with sweat band on became one of the great sights of 1990’s and early 2000’s!
Ian Bell – No one made it look better, as this is entitled my favourite players, he is a shoe in. Always classy and graceful, sublime touch and elegance but also a serious test match record, and some very good second inning 100’s V Australia. Watching Belly live was like watching most people’s highlights reel.
Ben Stokes – A batsman who has learned to harness power and patience, toughness and elegant technique. A gun fielder – oh and he bowls a bit. His cricket is immense, his desire and passion match it. To semi quote his old Durham mate Colly, he brings a bit a ginger to the team too
Matt Prior (WK) – I desperately wanted to pick Jack Russell who was a genius with the gloves, and ive always believed the gloves come first. But when I look at Prior he developed a brilliant partnership with Swann and from his recall onwards was very good with the gloves. Few (if any are in Jack’s class) but then throw in an average of 40 with the bat. Power and timing, almost all through the offside (the best side), I loved watching him bat as much as I loved seeing the look on the oppositions face when he came out to bat.
Andrew Flintoff – Yep at 8! Freddie is a hero, when I look back I think his defining moments came as a bowler, and generally in a strong attack where he was not overburdened. 2003-05 he was untouchable, a showman but he could deliver with bat, ball and in the field. Drive passion and a huge heart – pace bounce, and reverse swing.
Graeme Swann – In my time watching England no one has come close, he was exceptional as a bowler and became a very good slip fielder. Bluff or otherwise he was key to the swagger of the team, but most importantly he could bowl and spin it hard. He was a constant wicket taking threat, having a top class spinner provides real balance to the side.
Darren Gough – Nailed on – a bit like Freddie perhaps he was over bowled and under rested. He had pace, swing, reverse swing, a brilliant yorker and that infections sense of fun whilst never being beaten. If someone with no inclination to bowl can have a bowling hero it is Goughie! Im pretty sure even read the Aussies say they’d have had him in their team!
Jimmy Anderson – legend, master, superstar and the man who stepped into Goughie’s shoes for me. A slightly different skill set but anther serious competitor and wonderful bowler. He learnt how to bowl all around the world and he is right up there for me as an out and out hero.