England's record wicket-taker James Anderson has found himself at the centre of a social media storm after unveiling a highly unorthodox and factually flawed all-time Ashes XI.
Baffling selections cause uproar
The 43-year-old bowling great, who took 704 Test wickets, was tasked by TNT Sports with picking a dream team from players across the historic England-Australia rivalry. However, his final eleven left cricket fans and pundits utterly bewildered. Anderson's first major misstep was naming the legendary Sir Donald Bradman to open the batting alongside England's Alastair Cook.
While Bradman's staggering Test average of 99.94 makes him an automatic pick, the Australian icon never opened the batting in his 52-Test career, almost exclusively occupying the number three position.
Ponting handed the gloves in head-scratching move
The most bizarre moment came when Anderson, having finalised his team, realised he had forgotten to select a wicket-keeper. His solution was to hand the gloves to former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, stating, 'I'll give the gloves to Ricky Ponting.'
This decision ignored the fact that Ponting never kept wicket at international level, having only done so briefly in club cricket during the mid-1990s.
Social media reacts and a glaring omission
Unsurprisingly, fans on platforms like X were quick to criticise. One user wrote, 'I know these things are a matter of opinion... but this is one of the all-time wrong opinions.' Another summed it up as 'Pretty much an England XI with no wicket-keeper.'
Further controversy arose from Anderson's decision to include England's Joe Root while omitting modern Australian batting maestro Steve Smith. Critics highlighted that Smith averages over 55 in Ashes Tests and has scored the second-most centuries in the contest's history. One fan questioned, 'Joe Root who averages 39 against Australia over Steve Smith who averages 55?'
The episode has provided a curious and humorous postscript to Anderson's storied Ashes career, showcasing that even the game's most experienced players can have an off day when it comes to selection.
