The Rival XI - A team which can beat the Wisden XI

Jim Laker

Test – 46

Wickets – 193

Perhaps the only controversial selection in this team, Jim Laker makes the cut above a few others because of his ability to bowl impeccable line and length. In a team that consists of such attacking bowlers, Laker is the perfect bowler to hold up one end and dry up the runs.

However, that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t pick up wickets. Before Anil Kumble, Laker was the first bowler to pick up 10 wickets in an innings. Not only that, he picked up nine in the other innings.

So here’s the team that’s ready to take on the Wisden XI.

Rival XI: Sunil Gavaskar, Herbert Sutcliffe, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Graeme Pollock, Adam Gilchrist (WK), Imran Khan (C), Dennis Lillee, Muttiah Muralitharan, Jim Laker

A few greats missed out, but the ones who are included have enough firepower to put up a tough fight to any team in history. Any clue about which team would have won in a hypothetical match between this XI and the Wisden XI? Well, that’s something that even time won’t be able to tell!

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