Pietersen, Collingwood and Flintoff make my all-time England ODI XI

Bat and ball / Andrew Hughes / 20 June 2008 / Leave a Comment

Andrew Hughes tells us why KP is the first name on his all-time England ODI XI team sheet, how Flintoff finds a way into side and what role in the team he has singled out for a certain IT Botham

It's been another extraordinary week in the life of KP, superbatsman. His Chester le Street switch hit (such an ugly name, I prefer the Natal Shuffle) scattered the dozing flocks of cricket fogeys and sent them flapping off to consult their Wisdens. If nothing else, I bet more people have had a thumb through the Rules of the cricket this week than in the last twelve months.

But apart from being a master of trick shots, walking tattoo parlour, brand ambassador and watch model, just how good a player is he? Well pretty damn good, as it happens. For a start, he is England's greatest ever one day batsman. With an average of 51 and a strike rate of 87, no-one else even comes close. His would be the first name on the team sheet in my all time English one day XI. If he isn't in yours, then you've made a mistake. His perpetual fidgeting at the crease may create the impression of a man who slept on an ants nest but he can play the big shots on the big occasions like no other English batsman since Botham.

I can think of only two other current England internationals worthy of a place in an all time XI. Freddie is an obvious pick. He boasts the highest strike rate of any English batsman, averages a useful 30 and for good measure tops the bowling averages. My third choice is perhaps more controversial. Though Paul Collingwood is struggling in the longer game, he squeaks in here with a combination of a surprisingly good batting average, some useful dibbly dobbly support bowling and his promising captaincy. I tried to find a way to include England's best ever one day captain, Mike Gatting, but in the end his batting wasn't good enough to earn a place on merit and there are no passengers in Team Hughes.

In a fair world, Marcus Trescothick would still be an England player, but nevertheless, his ferocious boundary hitting at the top of the order is a must and the need to play Alec Stewart as an opener means old warhorse Graham Gooch is just edged out. Hick, Thorpe, Gower and Hussain were all considered for the middle order, but Alan Lamb's pugnacious hitting gets the nod along with one day specialist Neil Fairbrother's ability to place the ball and rotate the strike.

Surprisingly, the great Ian Botham was not as effective in the shorter game but is still worth his place as first change bowler and could reprise his 1992 pinch hitting role if required. Good old Bob Willis would spearhead the bowling, his economical pace just the thing to suffocate the opposition, complemented nicely by Darren Gough's nippy yorkers. Finally, John Emburey just shrugs off the challenge of old wheelie bin himself, Ashley Giles.

So here it is, my all time England one day XI, a perfect blend of big hitters, classy strokemakers and finishers with plenty of bowling options. You may of course disagree with my choice, but you'd be wrong.

Trescothick
Stewart (wk)
Pietersen
Fairbrother
Lamb
Flintoff
Collingwood
Botham
Emburey
Gough
Willis

Of course, Pietersen is now faced with the challenge of topping his headline grabbing performance. What shots might he unveil next? How about the Wind-Up Spin Shot in which he twists his rubbery arms like a corkscrew before allowing them to unwind generating enough speed to send the ball into orbit? Or maybe the Triple Salco With Back Flip?

But whilst all the attention was on Pietersen, New Zealand made a good recovery from their mauling in the first game and will feel aggrieved after what looked like a successful run chase at Edgbaston was nipped in the bud by the rain. England are still favourites for Saturday's 3rd one day international at Bristol and are currently available at [1.56] but the visitors will hope they have turned the corner with some of the fresher players getting some match practice. They are [2.62] to level the series. And if you think KP can repeat his Chester-le-Street heroics, you can back him at [5.3] to hit another left-handed six.