Dream Team
Welcome to our expanded, illustrated presentation with statistical summaries of the selected players
Gloucestershire batsman Ian Cockbain selects his top Xl
1. Michael Klinger
I’ve been watching him for the last couple of years and how he goes about his business with the white ball is just different class – he’s unbelievable. He just plays proper cricket shots and he’s obviously got the power to clear the rope as well. He’s just a bloody good player who has been amazing for us.
2. Kane Williamson
Kane is just unbelievable.You could just tell from a young age that he was so focused and so driven to do well.He approaches the game like an ultimate professional. I would go so far as to call him a genius!
3. Hamish Marshall
He’s just the ultimate professional. He was great with me when I first came down to Bristol. He helped me out a great deal and he’s obviously a brilliant player in his own right. He hit a hell of a lot of runs in all forms of the game for us
4. Cameron Bancroft
He’s one from this year. He’s got the same sort of personality as Peter Handscomb and Kane Williamson. He’s very driven and he strikes the ball really clean and he’s not an unsung hero any more because he’s been the vicecaptain of the Australia A team.
5. Ian Cockbain
There’s one that’s flying under the radar – can you pick yourself? I want to do that not because of anything I’ve done but just to have the experience of playing with some of these guys. I’d just keep things ticking over and then give them the strike – they can whack the sixes!
6. Peter Handscomb
He could be the wicketkeeper. He’s obviously got a bit of an abnormal technique but that works for him and he’s another one that’s really driven and focused.
7. Benny Howell
He’s our all-rounder. His record over the last couple of years is just phenomenal. He does all the hard yards. He bowls in the power play, he bowls to the short edge in every game and his stats are ridiculous. It also helps that he’s a jet in the field and he can whack it out of the park as well. I’ve played a hell of a lot with him and he’s definitely an unsung hero.
8. Kane Richardson
He’s someone that I played with over in Australia for East Torrens in Adelaide, in South Australian Grade cricket. He’s got very good skills – yorkers, slow balls, and what have you – so he’s a very talented bowler.
9. Adam Zampa
He’s another one that I played with for East Torrens. He spins it both ways, a bit like Imran Tahir, I guess. He’s a really skilful young spinner.
10. Muttiah Muralitharan
He played with us at Gloucestershire for two years in the T20s. He’s basically the greatest spinner ever to have played, so there’s not much more to say about him than that.
11. Andrew ‘AJ’ Tye
He played with us for a season at Gloucestershire and he, again, did the donkey yards. He bowled up top and at the end in our T20s, and it just seemed that he had yorkers on cue, and his slow ball just bamboozled everybody.