The only criteria for selection is you have had to have seen the player live in any format or level of cricket!
Alastair Cook – What needs to be said his stats speak for themselves, great batsman and superb leader on and off the pitch. He’s a great slip fielder and the fact that he is still playing shows his love for the game and would be my team captain.
Andrew Strauss – For me this was the position that had the fewest options and Strauss stood head and shoulders above all other players in consideration. He had a long and distinguished career and proved a reliable and focussed number 2.
Michael Vaughan – His later period of being captain took it’s toll, as it does for a lot of England players when they become captains and unfairly blotted his copy book for some. As with Strauss a persistent long term performer for the team.
Joe Root – The current England captain is back to his favourite position of number 4. He has been moved up the order due to lack of other options and too often has come into bat recently when our team is already up against it, which has put undue pressure on him and stopped him from playing his natural game, however, with my team line up he will go from strength to strength.
Kevin Pietersen – Certainly a Marmite player but he has proved invaluable at times and certainly one of the most watchable players I have ever seen. Only criticism is he seemed to play for himself rather than the team at times but he can’t, in my opinion be left out of any team.
Ben Stokes – As with Flintoff it was a question of to play two all rounders rather than a specialist pace bowler, I went for two all rounders. A fantastic player and has the ability to turn the game around through batting, bowling or fielding. If I had to chose only one all rounder he would get the nod in front of Freddie.
Andrew Flintoff – Another fantastic all rounder that single handily turned round a number of matches and again a fantastic leader on the pitch but probably, as with Stokes, probably not the best influence off the pitch.
Matt Prior – The best ‘keeper / batsman we have had and this is in a period of history when we’ve had lots of great ‘keeper / batsman.
Graeme Swann – Easily our best spinner and whist not he best spinner / batsman there is enough there’s enough batting in my team to have the luxury of a specialist spinner.
Simon Jones – There were a number of choices for this position and if his career wasn’t cut short by injury I think he would have been as absolute shoe in. On that basis he is in.
Jimmy Anderson – Leading English wicket taker, enough said.
COACH: Chris Silverwood – Everything he does in cricket just works. Great leader and top man.