And 30 other greats...

John Edrich England Tests: 32. Runs: 2,644

He had a good technique, but the best thing about him was his temperament. In big matches he could play and miss but then put it out of his mind and focus on the next ball. A fantastic partner for me.

Greg Chappell Australia Tests: 35. Runs: 2,619. Wkts: 13

The best Australian batsman in my 50 years in cricket. Greg could play off front foot and back foot with a wide range of shots.

David Gower England Tests: 42. Runs: 3,269

He could excite and infuriate you, but was blessed with superb timing. A gift from God, really.

Matthew Hayden

Australia Tests: 20. Runs: 1,461 Now there was a player. He was a bully up front against the new ball. That is rare to see. He loved telling them what he was going to do as he became cocky with success.

Basil D’oliveira England Tests: 13. Runs: 865. Wkts: 14

The best temperament I have seen from a middleorder batsman. His 158 in the 1968 Ashes Oval Test, where he was playing for a place on the South Africa tour, changed the course of that country’s cricket.

Mark Waugh Australia Tests: 29. Runs: 2,204. Wkts: 14

Chalk and cheese compared to his brother. Mark made batting look easy, with a full flow of the bat. An Australian David Gower.

Colin Cowdrey Tests: 43. Runs: 2,433

Superb technique. Sometimes you wondered whether his focus was fully on cricket. But he was a wonderful batsman.

Jeff Thomson Australia Tests: 21. Runs: 295. Wkts: 100

He was like a bolt of lightning. His catapult action with his right hand hidden behind his back just before delivery gave him amazing pace and bounce.

Ken Barrington England Tests: 23. Runs: 2,111. Wkts: 4

Determination. Concentration. Mentally strong. As Wally Grout said in the 1960s: “When Ken Barrington walked out to bat, you felt he had a Union Jack on his back.”

Terry Alderman Australia Tests: 17. Runs: 76: Wkts: 100

A superb, English-type bowler. When he came over in 1981 we had never heard of him. He swung it out, nipped it back and had wonderful control.

Chris Broad England Tests: 8. Runs: 708

He did not play a lot of Tests but his record against Australia was exceptional. He scored four hundreds in succession, dominating the 1986-87 series win.

Bill Lawry Australia Tests: 29. Runs: 2,233

Bowling to Bill was like bowling at a brick wall. He loved batting for long periods and wearing the bowlers down.

Alastair Cook England Tests: 30. Runs: 2,117

He is about patience, concentration and a strong mind. It is so important for opening batsmen to know where they can score. He has kept it simple.

Mitchell Johnson Australia Tests: 19. Runs: 533. Wkts: 87

Fast bowlers win Tests and when he clicked on the last Ashes tour, it was mesmerising. Put the fear of God into England.

John Snow England Tests: 20. Runs: 392. Wkts: 83

Could move the ball off the seam, in and out, but his nip-back balls were the most disconcerting. Accused of being lazy, which was unfair. He just could not always get up for the lesser games.

Graham Mckenzie Australia Tests: 25. Runs: 252. Wkts: 96

Garth was tall and big-shouldered with a magnificent physique. He would bowl three or four balls an over at a lively fast-medium pace, but his other two or three would be rapid.

Bob Willis England Tests: 35. Runs: 383. Wkts: 128

Made himself into a fine fast bowler from being a young tearaway. Always up for the battle.

Adam Gilchrist Australia Tests: 20. Runs: 1,083

When he came on the scene his wicketkeeping was good, but all we noticed was his spectacular batting.

Graeme Swann England Tests: 18. Runs: 499. Wkts: 62

He could deliver under pressure, taking wickets to win matches on turning pitches. He loved the challenge.

Ian Chappell Australia Tests: 30. Runs: 2,138. Wkts: 6

A good batsman who played on the edge and always had to be aggressive. I sensed he needed to pick a fight with someone to get his juices flowing.

Andrew Flintoff England Tests: 15. Runs: 906. Wkts: 50

In 2005 his bowling decimated Adam Gilchrist, the world’s greatest batsman-wicketkeeper. Bowled fast and made the ball rear disconcertingly at all the Australian batsmen.

Rod Marsh Australia Tests: 42. Runs: 1,633

He started against us in 1970-71 and kept dropping the ball. Some of our players christened him Iron Gloves. But he improved himself with hard work and dedication.

Stuart Broad England Tests: 22. Runs: 702. Wkts: 84

He has a gift for sudden matchwinning displays. His stunning spell of eight for 15 in 2015 at Trent Bridge is unforgettable.

Doug Walters Tests: 36. Runs: 1,981. Wkts: 26

Came on to the scene like a whirlwind with two hundreds against England in 1965, but it was a mistake to call him the new Bradman. Dougie smoked a lot and was an uncomplicated character.

Kevin Pietersen Tests: 27. Runs: 2,158. Wkts: 1

A maverick in a similar mould to Denis Compton. Sometimes outrageously brilliant, at other times annoyingly stupid, but the guy had serious talent.

Allan Border Tests: 47. Runs: 3,548. Wkts: 4

Beautiful left-hander. Started in a period when Australia were not very good but developed into a quality player. When he became captain he showed he had a good cricket brain.

Andrew Strauss Tests: 20. Runs: 1,421

His captaincy was different to Michael Vaughan’s, but he was very clear thinking. He was a very good batsman too, scoring key runs in 2005, 2009 and 2010-11.

Bob Simpson Tests: 19. Runs: 1,405. Wkts: 16

Once Bob got through the new ball he was an excellent player of spin. He had a wide range of shots and he was also one of the best slip fielders I have ever seen.

Graham Gooch Tests: 42. Runs: 2,632. Wkts: 8

He found his forte was opening the batting, going in against the new ball. He was a terrific player of quick bowling.

Ian Redpath Tests: 23. Runs: 1,512

Played a lot of Test matches, going quietly about his business. He was very much an unsung player, but his record was very good.