Sangakkara names only one Pakistani in all-time XI

Find out who he is and also other players in Sri Lankan legend's list

Sri Lankan batting legend Kumar Sangakkara on Sunday named his all-time greatest eleven team and it was no surprise that the only Pakistani who made it to the list was Wasim Akram.

In a video for Lord's Cricket Ground, Sangakkara admired Wasim's ‘high skill’. “I’ll have Wasim as a left-arm fast-bowler [at number ten],” said Sanga. “High skill! Belittles you both with the old and the new ball; a left-armer, just unbelievably challenging to face him." he said.

The former Sri Lanka veteran added that all batsmen he knew feared the Pakistani left-armer. “Any batsman that I have spoken to, said he always feared facing Wasim.”

The 38-year-old, in his greatest eleven, chose former Australian Matthew Hayden and former Indian Rahul Dravid as openers. At number three and four he opted for former West Indian Brian Lara and former Australian Rickey Ponting, respectively.

For the number five spot, Sanga chose fellow retired countryman Aravinda de Silva. Sanga chose Silva over Mahela Jayawardene because he "they both (Sanga and Mahela) agree that de Silva was the best Sri Lanka batsman ever." Meanwhile for the number six all-rounder spot, he opted for former South African Jacques Kallis.

Former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist was Sanga’s choice at number seven.

He then went for two of the world’s greatest spinners, namely former Australian leggie Shane Warne and former Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan as his bowlers. According to Sanga, these two could bowl on any surface and pose the same amount of threat to the batsman as on a spinning top.

And as the last bowling option, Sanga once again preferred former fellow compatriot Chaminda Vaas over former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath.