English daily compiles alternative team to take on Wisden XI
According to the list published by 'Daily Telegraph', Gavaskar and England great Len Hutton have been included as openers in the alternative XI.
For greats who missed out on spots in Wisden's all-time World Test XI, an English daily has compiled an alternative side including legends like Brian Lara and Sunil Gavaskar to take on the side led by Don Bradman.
According to the list published by 'Daily Telegraph', Gavaskar and England great Len Hutton have been included as openers in the alternative XI.
West Indians George Headley, Lara, Graeme Pollock and Wally Hammond make up the middle-order followed by former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist and legendary Pakistan all-rounder Imran Khan.
Pacers Fred Trueman, Dennis Lillee and Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan complete the side.
Retiring Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar was yesterday named in the Wisden all-time World Test XI.
Tendulkar, who will retire from Test cricket after playing against the West Indies in his landmark 200th match in Mumbai next month, was named at his number four spot in the team announced to mark 150 years of the Cricketers' Almanack here.
The Wisden XI captained by legendary Australian batsman Bradman has four Englishmen, three West Indians, two Australians, one Indian and one Pakistani. Tendulkar's contemporaries like Lara, Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis could not make it to the team, nor other Indian greats like Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.
Australian spin legend Shane Warne and Pakistani fast bowling great Wasim Akram were the only two contemporaries of Tendulkar who made it to the World Test XI.
Tendulkar and Akram are the only two Asians named in the team.
Jack Hobbs and WG Grace were included as openers, followed by Bradman and Tendulkar at number three and four, respectively.
Destructive West Indian batsman Vivian Richards comes in at number five followed his countryman and legendary all-rounder Garry Sobers.
Englishman Alan Knott got the wicketkeeper's spot while the four remaining bowling slots went to Warne, Akram, West Indian fast bowling great Malcolm Marshall and Englishman Sydney Barnes.
Alternative World XI: Sunil Gavaskar, Len Hutton, George Headley, Brian Lara, Graeme Pollock, Wally Hammond, Adam Gilchrist, Imran Khan, Fred Trueman, Dennis Lillee, Muttiah Muralitharan.