And an England Test XI for the noughties...:
1. Marcus Trescothick – but for illness he would still be opening the batting for his country. Perhaps no player is missed more by England than Tresco.
2. Andrew Strauss – the current captain has scored 18 tons in 67 Tests and is an obvious pick.
3. Michael Vaughan (Captain) – his best batting performances for England were generally as opener but as captain he should bat at three.
4. Kevin Pietersen – leading runscorer in his debut series (the unforgettable Ashes of 2005) and hasn’t looked back since.
5. Graeme Thorpe – made significant contributions to momentous series victories in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Caribbean and South Africa to secure his place over Paul Collingwood.
6. Andrew Flintoff – when he was at his peak in 2004 and 2005, before injuries took their toil, he was the undisputed best all-rounder in the World.
7. Geraint Jones – there is no outstanding candidate out of the plethora of keepers used by England this decade. Jones wins the day as Alec Stewart’s best work was in the 1990s.
8. Ashley Giles – the ‘King of Spain’ wins the pick ahead of Monty (too inconsistent) and Swann (not played enough Tests). The balance he added to the side was never really fully appreciated by critics but certainly was by his team mates and coach.
9. Matthew Hoggard – a hugely consistent performer and a vital cog in a formidable seam attack that drove England’s success in 2004 and 2005.
10. Steve Harmison – frustratingly unable to maintain the form that saw him ranked the number one bowler in the World in 2004, but on his day simply unplayable.
11. Andrew Caddick – could just as easily have been Simon Jones or Darren Gough, but Caddick shades it for me
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