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No place for Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar in THIS England legend`s Dream XI
Back in 2011, when Boycott was picking his team taunted ICC Dream XI which had three Indian batsmen - Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.
New Delhi: Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has found no place Indian legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar in is all time best World XI.
Boycott was asked to pick his team while addressing media persons in Mumbai, and the 76-year-old said "I can't pick Indians just to please you."
He picked legendary WG Grace and Jack Hobbs as the openers of his team while Vivian Richards and Garfield Sobers found a place in the middle order.
"I can't get in the team myself. Gavaskar was a wonderful player and friend. Can I pick him ahead of Grace and Hobbs? Grace's numbers would look rubbish with 30 something. But you can't compare with today where wickets are wonderfully prepared.
"Back then, pitches were full of stones. They would have to wait till 2 pm to make the pitch dry. Today they would get mad if they are given wet wickets," he explained.
He also chose Don Bradman, along with three more West Indian legends in George Headley, Vivian Richards and Garfield Sobers.
"Kapil Dev was a wonderful bowler. So was Ian Botham. But I can't put them ahead of Sobers. If you want me to be nice because I am in India I would pick five Indians but that's not me," he added.
Back in 2011, when Boycott was picking his team taunted ICC Dream XI which had three Indian batsmen – Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.
In his column in UK's Telegraph newspaper, he wrote, “I bet the vast majority of the votes were cast by people from the sub-continent because five of the XI are from India and Pakistan."
“It is so biased it has no credibility. It takes no account of the history of the game and the great players of the past," he continued.
Here are the two teams:
ICC Dream XI: Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar, Donald Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Kapil Dev, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath
Boycott's Dream XI: Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Donald Bradman, George Headley, Vv Richards, Garry Sobers, Alan Knott, Sydney Barnes, Malcolm Mrshall, Shane Warne and Dennis Lillee.