All time England Test XI- The Greatest English players ever

All time England Test XI- The Greatest English players ever: When we talk about English cricket; its more about Test cricket. It was not easy to list out the all time England Test XI. We got an outright picture of the forefathers and explorers of this 138 year old gentleman’s game. Their history of cricket is as old as the existence of the very game itself. The country which gave birth to this thrilling sport has been a seventh heaven for producing some of the most glittering and audacious talents in the world of cricket. Although, the English team has tasted the dust many a times in limited overs format but yet their merry run in the longer format of the game has been quite superb and worth mentioning. So far, England has featured in the most number of Test matches which is 959 while they are ranked second in terms of most Test wins that is 342. Today, we make an exclusive list consisting of best all-time English players who raised the standard of the game while bringing cherishing moments and memories of honor and glory for the nation with their priceless contributions. Many factors like match situations, impact of a contribution, quality of the player and stats are taken into consideration while preparing the list. So, have a look at this coveted list of the best All time England Test XI: 1. Alastair Cook: Alastair Cook. (© Getty Images) The present English skipper in command Alastair Cook who wears the look of grandiose royalty on his face is the highest run-getter for the country in Test match cricket. Cook who announced his gritty arrival in the international cricket with a maiden ton on Indian soil has not looked back since then. Whenever there has been slump of form in his career, he has only fought back hard with his resilience and dedication to silence his critics. Who can forget his invincible performances in 2009/10 Ashes series when his career was halted to nowhere. Then the 30 year-old slapped 776 runs in only seven innings to handover his side a rare series victory on the Australian soil after a colossal gap of 24 years. Also Read – United rivals- The all time best Ashes XI 2. Sir Jack Hobbs: Sir Jack Hobbs. (Photo Source: AllSport UK Ltd) Sir Jack Hobbs is one of the greatest cricketers in the history of English cricket as well as the highest run-getter in the history of First Class cricket with 61,237 runs including 199 centuries. The supremely talented Englishman was fondly referred to as the “Master” of the game. The opening pair of Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe is still considered to be one of the most successful opening pair in the world of cricket. In 38 innings they combined for 3,249 runs at an average of 87.81 But, whenever we talk about Hobbs it would be crazy to forget about his individual brilliance which even got mentioned in the Wisden obituary. Overall, he played 61 test matches and hammered 5,410 runs at a fantabulous average of 56.94 with 15 centuries against his name. 3. Kevin Pietersen: Kevin Pietersen. (© Getty Images) The maverick Kevin Pietersen is one of the most swashbuckling and demolishing batsman to have played the game. KP is that glittering star who always rallies his nation towards greater heights of silverware and is the highest run scorer for England across all the formats of the game. From his match saving innings of 158 at the Oval against Australians to his match winning centuries on the Indian and Sri Lankan soil in 2012, this man has done it all. One fine day, when the English team was struggling against South Africa at Headingley in 2012, Pietersen nailed the likes of Steyn and Morkel that too at their peak as if they are some club bowlers. In 104 Test matches, KP has scored 8,181 runs at an average of 47.28 with 23 centuries to his credit. 4. Graham Gooch: Graham Gooch. (Photo Source: PA Photos) Probably the best England batsman ever Graham Gooch was one of the most technically solid and upright players for the country. Gooch who always played with a heavy bat was a magnificent stroke player, which helped him stamped his class and authority. Although, playing spin is considered to be the Achilles heel of the England players but Gooch could well be called the exception, as he was adept at dominant against the spinners and is renowned as one the greatest players of spin in his country. He is the second highest run-getter in test cricket for England with 8900 runs against his name in 118 test at an average of 42.58 with 20 centuries. 5. Wally Hammond: Walter Hammond. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Whenever the name of this genius is churned out, the cricket universe remembers the man who epitomized the beauty and wonder of a cover drive which mesmerized the spirits of millions of English people. If there was any answer to Don Bradman in his era of dominance, then the heroics of Hammond was right up there. Many say he played in the wrong era otherwise he would have reached different heights all together. In 1928/29 Ashes series, he became the highest run-scorer for England in a Test series when he plundered absolutely unbelievable tally of 905 runs. In 85 test matches, Hammond accumulated 7,249 runs at a staggering average of 58.45. 6. Sir Ian Botham: Sir Ian Botham. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The greatest English all-rounder ever Sir Ian Botham’s skills with the red cherry and willow in hand was mercilessly matchless. He turned the tides in favor of his country when he transformed the 1981 Ashes to the Botham’s Ashes series as he single-handedly marched his nation to the Ashes laurel. Players like him come once in decades and he is also counted as one the greatest all-rounders the cricket ever. In 102 Tests he picked up 383 wickets while with the bat in hand he compiled 5,200 runs at a decent average of 33.54. 7. Alec Stewart (wicket-keeper): Alec Stewart. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Alec Stewart is the most splendid wicket-keeper batsman to have worn the three lions in the history of English cricket. He was classified as a touch player who looked barefaced in his cover-drives and was a dominant puller and hooker of the ball. Although, he wasn’t that secure when the spinners came on to bowl with silly point and short leg. He also captained England for a brief period but after the 1999 World Cup he was stripped off the captaincy. In 133 matches, he amassed 8,463 runs at a respectable average of 39.54 while he also affected 277 dismissals. 8. James Anderson: James Anderson. (© Getty Images) The greatest swing bowler of the country, James Anderson has now carved a niche for himself in Test cricket with his top-notch bowling credentials. Now, Jimmy is the master of swinging the new and old ball. Apart from his prodigal in-swinging and out-swinging rippers, he is also the master of the art of reverse swing. In the recent few years, he has been the go to man for his skippers due to his knack of producing match winning performances for the team. So far, the 32 year-old has played 102 test matches and has claimed 406 wickets which is the most by an English bowler. 9. Bob Willis: Bob Willis. (Photo Source: Getty Images) If a bowler undergoes surgery on both knees at the age of 26, then the associated pain and after effects on the anatomy of such a bowler is as daunting as anything can be in the human life. But, yet Bob Willis was courageous enough to overcome it with his willpower and sheer commitment, he played for almost another decade even after such a turmoil. The 6 feet 6 inch tall bowler was always at his best whenever he donned the English whites against the arch rivals Australia. In 32 matches against them, he had 128 wickets at an average of 26.14 with 8/43 as his best test figures in the 1981 Ashes series. By the time he finished his career, he was standing tall in international circuit with 325 wickets in 90 test matches at an average of 25. 10. Fred Trueman: Fred Trueman. (© Allsport / Getty Images) The great fast bowler from Yorkshire Fred Trueman was the first test bowler in the history of the game to cross the 300 wickets mark. Trueman was fast and furious pacer and was also tagged as “Fiery Fred”. Only few bowlers had that kind of pace and control over the swing as the gracious Freddie Trueman. He performed excellently well against the Indians as he took 53 wickets in 9 matches at an amazing average of 12. When he finished his career, he was the greatest bowler ever at that time with 307 wickets in only 67 matches at a mind-wobbling average of 21. 11. Jim Laker: Jim Laker. (Photo Source: PA Photos) Jim Laker is the only man in the history of cricket to take 19 wickets in one test match. Even at the first class-level, no one has taken more than 17 wickets which highlights the uniqueness of the milestone. And what could be more merrier than achieving it against the Australians with whom England share fierce rivalry for centuries. He achieved this historic feat in 1956 at the Oval. Jim played against six test nations, out of which against four nation his average was below 20. He featured in 46 test matches and took 193 wickets at an overall average of 21. The bowlers who average around 20 or so with the ball are regarded as one of the prominent achievers of the game and Jim Laker is certainly one of those. Also Read – Top 10 Best bowling figures in Tests