The best of the Test

Our experts have selected their Test Team of the Decade. How does yours stack up in comparison?

Who would make your Team of the Decade?

Cricket has changed dramatically in the noughties. The birth of Twenty20 and the start of the Indian Premier League have helped to usher in a new era of bold, expansive cricket. Yet Test matches remain at the pinnacle of the game, so with that in mind we asked each of our experts to select their 'Test Team of the Decade'. Naturally, there are some shoe-ins but there is also plenty of debate over the opening positions and what constitutes the most potent bowling attack - not to mention the name of the supreme all-rounder of the decade. But do you agree with our commentators? Who would you want to go in to bat for you? Which captain has called it right in the last 10 years? And is Muttiah Muralitharan a greater spinner than Shane Warne? Or do you want both in your XI? Check out our pundits' selections below and then let us know if you agree by filling out the feedback form below...

Nasser Hussain

It's a fairly easy choice for me. I've not gone left-field like Michael Atherton. I've gone for an opening combination of aggression, in Matty Hayden, and patience with 'the Wall' Rahul Dravid. Then I've got arguably three of the greatest batsmen of all time - Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. After that I've got Jacques Kallis as my all-rounder and you can't argue with Adam Gilchrist behind the stumps. I tried to leave Shaun Pollock out but he had a bar-b-q the other night and he saved me some cash! So he's in along with Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Glenn McGrath because every time I saw him bowl at Atherton he was very fast and it was all over very quickly. I don't think any side would beat this one. Atherton is arguing about Kallis - he says he's not strong enough as your third seamer but I'm not bothered about that. If you go from Pollock and McGrath to Warne and Murali you only need a few overs of Kallis. No-one can argue with Murali and Warne, surely?

Nasser's XI

1) Matthew Hayden (Aus)
2) Rahul Dravid (Ind)
3) Ricky Ponting (c) (Aus)
4) Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
5) Brian Lara (WI)
6) Jacques Kallis (SA)
7) Adam Gilchrist (wk) (Aus)
8) Shaun Pollock (SA)
9) Shane Warne (Aus)
10) Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
11) Glenn McGrath (Aus)

Shaun Pollock

My team is pretty similar to Nasser's, although I've got Graeme Smith at the top of the order because he's been fantastic for South Africa. The only other difference is with regards to Dale Steyn. I've picked him because I felt that I needed some pace in the attack, not some old half-pint who has retired from the game! Dale has been sensational for South Africa over the three years, he really has. He's been the spearhead and led South Africa to number one in the world almost single-handedly on his own. I've also gone for the two spinners, Murali and Warne, because the trend of pitches around the world has been very batter friendly and not as quick and seamer friendly as they used to be in the years that have gone by. I'm into the entertainers, that's was why Virender Sehwag was close for me. I've always liked the way that he's come in and beat the ball from ball one. Nasser was definitely my 12th man - just to make sure that you got hold of the meal allowance!

Shaun's XI

1) Graeme Smith (SA)
2) Matthew Hayden (Aus)
3) Ricky Ponting (c) (Aus)
4) Brian Lara (WI)
5) Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
6) Jacques Kallis (SA)
7) Adam Gilchrist (wk) (Aus)
8) Shane Warne (Aus)
9) Dale Steyn (SA)
10) Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
11) Glenn McGrath (Aus)

David Lloyd

Rahul Dravid? He's never opened! I don't know where Nass gets them from! And two spinners? I thought he might have said his team is going to play in Colombo or Calcutta! It's a crying shame that Marcus Trescothick isn't still playing, while Virender Sehwag is absolutely fabulous and then you've got your big three - Ricardo Ponting, Kenny Dulkar and BC Lara but I've made Steve Waugh my captain. Shaun Pollock - he can do a great bar-b-q so he's in. I think I've picked one of the greatest players that has ever played in Wasim Akram. I don't know how anyone has missed him out! He may have only played 13 or 14 matches in the decade, but he's got to play! I've got a five on my team against all-comers. I've only got one spinner - Shane Warne - so when he gets banned (and he's bound to) I've got Murali to come in.

Bumble's XI

1) Marcus Trescothick (Eng)
2) Virender Sehwag (Ind)
3) Ricky Ponting (Aus)
4) Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
5) Brian Lara (WI)
6) Steve Waugh (c) (Aus)
7) Adam Gilchrist (wk) (Aus)
8) Shaun Pollock (SA)
9) Shane Warne (Aus)
10) Wasim Akram (Pkn)
11) Glenn McGrath (Aus)

Sir Ian Botham

I think my team will take an awful lot of beating. Allan Donald played 14 Tests and took 40-odd wickets in the decade, which is good enough for me. I used to watch him bowl to Atherton and he looked magnificent - he was about four wickets down on what he should have had if you add in the gloved catches that weren't given! Shane Warne has got to be captain, he's got flair, he's off the wall - everything that Nasser wasn't! It's all about the social side too - you've got to have a bit of fun. That's why Polly gets in. He doesn't drink so we've got a bus driver; he gets the keys for every return journey. I'm managing the side - I'll be the social manager 24/7. I'll keep them under my wing.

Beefy's XI

1) Graeme Smith (SA)
2) Virender Sehwag (Ind)
3) Ricky Ponting (Aus)
4) Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
5) Brian Lara (WI)
6) Jacques Kallis (SA)
7) Adam Gilchrist (wk) (Aus)
8) Shaun Pollock (SA)
9) Shane Warne (c) (Aus)
10) Allan Donald (SA)
11) Glenn McGrath (Aus)

Michael Atherton

I'm backing my team against anyone else's. I've got opening batsmen who will put the wind up bowlers in Virender Sehwag and Sanath Jayasuriya and no-one's going to argue with Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar. I don't need runs after those five so I've gone for a bowling all-rounder in Andrew Flintoff. Everybody's gone for Gilchrist and I've also selected two spinners in Warne and Muralitharan. Glenn McGrath will take the new ball with Zaheer Khan, a left-armer who swings the new ball and the old ball AND offers me some rough for Murali. This is a team for all conditions. I count Wasim Akram as a player of the 1990s. I played against him all through that decade and he played his last Test in 2002! I'm also consigning Allan Donald to the 1990s so it was a bit of a search, actually, to find a second opening bowler which perhaps says a little about the way this decade has gone. I think Shane Warne would captain the side in the right way - he'd want an entertaining match.

Athers' XI

1) Virender Sehwag (Ind)
2) Sanath Jayasuriya (SL)
3) Ricky Ponting (Aus)
4) Brian Lara (WI)
5) Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
6) Andrew Flintoff (Eng)
7) Adam Gilchrist (wk) (Aus)
8) Shane Warne (c) (Aus)
9) Zaheer Khan (Ind)
10) Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
11) Glenn McGrath (Aus)

David Gower

Obviously, there are several similarities to some of the teams above in mine. I'm a big admirer of Graeme Smith's and think Virender Sehwag is a wonderful player. Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar pick themselves. Then I've gone for Jacques Kallis and Adam Gilchrist, while there is absolutely no debate about Shane Warne for me. I have a very healthy respect for pace, which isn't based on my experiences in the noughties necessarily, but the eighties. But all of the players mentioned - whether left-field or not - are very, very good.

David's XI

1) Graeme Smith (c) (SA)
2) Virender Sehwag (Ind)
3) Ricky Ponting (Aus)
4) Brian Lara (WI)
5) Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
6) Jacques Kallis (SA)
7) Adam Gilchrist (wk) (Aus)
8) Shane Warne (Aus)
9) Wasim Akram (Pkn)
10) Allan Donald (SA)
11) Glenn McGrath (Aus)

Benedict Bermange

It's fair to say that the pundits' reaction to Benedict's one-cap wonders XI was somewhat mixed! Gower: "I hope none of them take offence - this is all in the spirit of Christmas and the New Year. By definition they have played that one Test but I'm not sure how many of them can expect to play another!" Beefy: "Do you not think Benedict needs to get out a little bit more?"

Benedict's one-cap wonders XI

1) Chris Rogers (Aus)
2) Leon Garrick (c) (WI)
3) Bazid Khan (Pkn)
4) Richard Jones (NZ)
5) Gareth Hopkins (NZ)
6) Ian Blackwell (Eng)
7) Graham Manou (wk) (Aus)
8) Andre Adams (NZ)
9) Bryce McGain (Aus)
10) Amjad Khan (Eng)
11) Darren Pattinson (Eng)
You've read our experts' selections - now put them straight by filling out the feedback form below...