12th August (CRICKETNMORE) - Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting picks his all time Playing XI made up of individuals he played alongside or against in his stellar 18-year first-class career. His team features five crickters from Australia, Two from West Indies and One each from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa.
Ricky Ponting All Time Playing XI
Openers: Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden (Australia), 3. Jaques Kallis (South Africa) 4. Sachin Tendulkar (India) 5. Brian Lara (West Indies) 6. Kumar Sangakkara (captain, Sri Lanka) 7. Adam Gilchrist (wk, Australia) 8. Shane Warne (Australia) 9. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) 10. Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) 11. Glenn McGrath (Australia)
Also check Saurabh Ganguly Playing XI
Reasons quoted for Picking Players
Mathew Hayden - Always big and tall at the crease, always on the front foot, always putting pressure back on the bowlers.
Justin Langer - One of my greatest mates from my playing times
Jaques Kallis - He is one of the modern greats.
Sachin Tendulkar - There's not too many greatest XIs you could pick without Sachin in it.
Brian Lara - Another guy that gave me nightmares as a captain was Brian Lara, the West Indies legend.
Kumar Sangakkara - A very determined player, loved winning and gave his team every opportunity to win when he was out in the middle.
Adam Gilchrist - He really revolutionised the way wicketkeepeing was perceived.
Shane Warne - The best spinner that I'd certainly seen.
Wasim Akram - Probably the most skilled fast bowler I played against, and it wasn't just with the new ball either.
Curtly Ambrose - They were the sort of bowlers that made life most difficult for me.
Glenn McGrath - Undoubtedly one of the great fast bowlers of the modern era.
Saurabh Sharma