What better way for a country to celebrate its 1,000th Test match than to get their cricket fans to indulge in a bit of fantasy. The England and Wales Cricket Board got 6,000 enthusiasts to participate in a poll to decide on the best England Test XI. The fact that three members of the current team — Alastair Cook, captain Joe Root and pacer James Anderson — are in the XI indicates that a lot of young followers of the game participated in the poll.

Like in any dream team, there will be big-name omissions. How dare Geoff Boycott is left out, die-hard Yorkshiremen will remark while they console themselves with Len Hutton's inclusion. No Jack Hobbs, the original master of cricket — that would not have been easy to accept for many Londoners. Ditto the absence of Denis Compton, the original Brylcreem boy of cricket. Wally Hammond not making it either must have caused some consternation.