Gavaskar, Kapil, Sachin in Bradman's elite team

Three Indian cricketers -- Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar -- were among a pool of 69 from whom the legendary Sir Donald Bradman made his selection of the 'world's best team' before he died.

Bradman's all-time ideal team will be announced on Monday, Roland Perry, who chronicled the considerations attached by the Don while selecting the best XI, wrote in his book Bradman's Best, a report in London's Times Daily, said on Saturday.

"In interviews for Bradman's Best, the Don, over six months in 1995 and intermittently over the next five years, discussed the greatest players of the game, from W G Grace and Victor Trumper at the beginning of the 20th century to Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar at the end of it," the report said.

Bradman exhibited an enormous capacity for analysing the strengths, weaknesses, technical skills, temperament, personality and character of scores of cricketers who have graced the world stage over more than 120 years.

"I was intrigued to know his all-time ideal team. At first we discussed it in terms of achieving the perfect balance under normal playing conditions," Perry wrote.

Perry said Bradman's understandable obsession to avoid publicity made the book untenable.

"Yet, I was interested to know his opinion. I suggested that the team only be made public posthumously and based on our discussions, sent him a range of selections for the positions in the team," Perry said.

According to the report, Bradman opted for the following: Two recognised opening batsmen of whom one shall be a left-hander, three other batsmen of whom one should be a left-hander, one all-rounder, one wicketkeeper who is also a good bat, one fast bowler to open with the wind, one fast or medium-pace bowler to open into the wind, one right-arm off spinner or right-hand leg spinner and one left-arm orthodox first-finger spinner.

Bradman had been retired eight years when he returned to England for the 1956 Ashes battle as a journalist. England won 2-1 and had the superior team, with right-arm off spinner Jim Laker in blistering form, especially in the fourth Test at Old Trafford when he took 19 wickets for 90 runs on a dustbowl.

"It was very close to perfect in terms of balance," Bradman said. "England had a left and right-hander to open, but there was neither a left-hand batsman nor an all-rounder in the next tour."

Bradman also liked his 1948 team that went through an entire Ashes tour of 34 games without losing a contest.

Asked whether the 1948 team was the best since cricket's inception, Bradman replied with diffidence. "It's difficult comparing teams from era to era," but conceded that it was "the best team I was ever involved with as a player".

The Don's selected few: Openers (one a left-hander): From Gavaskar, Greenidge, Haynes, Hobbs, Hutton, Ponsford, Barnes, Lawry, Simpson, Morris, Sutcliffe, Barry Richards, Slater.

Three other bats, which was two given that Bradman would be an automatic selection. One should be a left-hander: From (Bradman), Lara, Tendulkar, Viv Richards, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Graeme Pollock, Headley, Weekes, Hammond, Mccabe, Harvey, Macartney, Greg Chappell, Compton, May, Trumper.

One all-rounder: From Sobers, Miller, Davidson, Benaud, Proctor, Kapil Dev, Botham, Hammond, Grace.

One wicketkeeper: From Tallon, Healy, Knott, Dujon, Marsh, Evans.

One fast bowler to open with the wind, and one fast or medium pacer to open into the wind: From Ambrose, Hadlee, Lillee, McGrath, Lindwall, Donald, Marshall, Holding, Roberts, Walsh, Alec Bedser, Tyson, Larwood, Wasim Akram, Davidson, Johnston, Barnes.

One right-arm off-spinner: From Laker, Gibbs.

One left-arm orthodox first-finger spinner or an orthodox leg spinner: From Verity, Rhodes, O'Reilly, Grimmett, Maey, Warne.

PTI

Mail Cricket Editor