NEW DELHI, Apr 19: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is happy to be a part of Dickie Bird’s all-time Test XI even as some former cricketers called the ex-English umpire’s composition as “biased” and “ill-balanced”.
“Dickie has been one of the most respected and popular umpires in the game, so it’s good to know that I am in his team,” Gavaskar said.
The cricket fraternity in India expressed shock at the omission of legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Don Bradman in the all-time Test eleven named by Bird.
Besides the omission of Tendulkar and Bradman, Bird’s team did not have greats like Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting as well as the West Indian fast bowlers Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Michael Holding.
Others in the team, named by Bird in an interview with London newspaper ‘The Telegraph’ ahead of his 80th birthday today, are Imran Khan, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Greg Chappell, Graeme Pollock, Gary Sobers, Alan Knott, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee and Lance Gibbs. (PTI)
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