Sachin Tendulkar the only Indian to feature in Graeme Swann's all time XI

The Home of Cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground has continued with its series asking all major current and the former cricketers to pick their all-time XIs. Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann is the latest in the league to do so. He chose all the greats of the game but gave it a twist somewhere in between.

The rule to choose the players is that one must have played with or against the player or they must have influenced the cricketer in some way. Swann decided to not follow the rules as his first inclusion was a pre-World-War-II great Sir Jack Hobbs, claiming that he was his Grandfather’s favourite player. Partnering Hobbs was going to be Gordon Greenidge. He faced competition from Desmond Haynes but got in the Swann’s team anyway.

In at No.3 will be none other than Sir Don Bradman, no arguments over that. In at number four, surprisingly, will be West Indies great Brain Lara who is followed by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar at five, the only Indian in Swann’s eleven. Sir Garry Sobers at 6 was an easy choice but Swann had Jacques Kallis in mind although it would have been perfectly fine had he picked him. “I need a left-armer for foot hole. You will see why later. Sorry, Jacques,” he went on to explain.

Adam Gilchrist makes to the offspinner’s all time eleven as the batsman who can keep wickets to Shane Warne, who in turn is the Brit’s next inclusion. “Best ’keeper-batsman I have seen … I need a good ’keeper who can ’keep into Shane Warne,” he said.

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Now, here comes the twist, when it was time to pick another spinner, Swann did not hesitate one bit and picked himself. “Graeme Swann. It’s my team. … I am playing me,”

The pacers that made it were Glenn McGrath and Wasim Akram. Though the Pakistani great would bat much higher in the order, we couldn’t complain as even the greatest batsman of this generation was pushed down the order by Swann.

The 12th man was an Englishman, James Anderson. His former teammates, Anderson made it to the bench with all the greats of the game.

Graeme Swann’s all-time XI:

Sir Jack Hobbs, Gordon Greenidge, Sir Donald Bradman, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Sir Garfield Sobers, Adam Gilchrist (wicketkeeper), Shane Warne, Graeme Swann, Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, James Anderson (12th man).