My All Time XI (of cricket as I know it)
No Don, no currently playing players, and no one from eras in which cricket is vastly different than it is now ( so uncovered pitch era, or even the era of no video footage! are all out )
01. Sunil Gavaskar
02. Matthew Hayden
03. Kumar Sangakkara +
04. Brian Lara
05. Viv Richards
06. Garry Sobers * (4,5)
07. Javed Miandad
08. Imran Khan* / Shaun Pollock (3)
09. Richard Hadlee / Shaun Pollock (2)
10. Muttiah Muralitharan (4,5)
11. Glenn McGrath (1)
Had to have a think over the lower order. I think at 8 and 9, Imran/Pollock/Hadlee offer more value than Ambrose/Steyn. I would bring in Warne for Hadlee, if it is a true Sri Lankan cracker jack of a turning wicket, but I realize that it does weaken the batting.
No one likes my batsmen, I already know that. Think Shaun Pollock is massively underrated though. I think he's a better bat than Hadlee ( not that controversial ), and a better bowler than Imran ( definitely much more controversial ).
I do think for my first choice I'd pick Hadlee first of the 3, as the best bowler and new ball partner to McGrath, and then Imran as a better all-rounder coming at 8 ( and also as captain over Sobers in that configuration). Pollock though, unlucky to miss out, for mine as one of the truly highest impact cricketers of all time.