Eleven of the Best: Foreign-born England Test Players

With Michael Vaughan's recent comments in his autobiography aboout Jonathan Trott's "Englishness", here is a team of England's best Test players that were born overseas.

These players have been selected from England Test teams since 1985, and although there may be some good omissions in that time, I don't believe there are any greats.

Andrew Strauss

The Current England captain and a stalwart of the side since his debut Strauss, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, has scored 5266 Test runs at an average of 44.62 with 18 centuries, and has appeared in nearly 100 ODIs.

Robin Smith

Known as "Judge", hard-hitting Robin Smith fills the other opener's berth in this side. Although he has only done that duty in one-dayers, there were no other openers with a record to match.

Durban-born Smith played in 62 Tests for England, scoring 4236 runs at an average of 43.67 and including nine centuries. He also scored more than 2400 runs in ODIs at 39.

Nasser Hussain

Born in Madras (Chennai), India, Nasser Hussain captained England from 1999 to 2003, and appeared in 96 Tests. He scored 5764 runs at 37.18 and 14 centuries, including an innings of 207 against Australia duruing the 1997 Ashes series.

Hussain also scored more than 2000 ODI runs.

Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen may turn out to be the finest England batsman born overseas. He has already scored more than 4500 runs in his 54 Tests, at an average only just below 50, including 16 centuries.

In 92 ODIs he has ammassed more than 3100 runs at 46.

Allan Lamb

South African Allan Lamb was a fixture in England's middle order in the 1980s and will be most fondly remembered for taking the attack to the West Indian quicks of the era, notching several hundreds against them.

Lamb scored 4656 runs at 36.09 in his 79 Test matches including 14 centuries, and racked up more than 4000 ODI runs.

Graeme Hick

Graeme Hick is often considered one of the most unfulfilled talents in cricket, despite accruing more than 100 first-class centuries.

The Zimbabwean's Test record bears comparison with the likes of Smith and Lamb though, and he scored 3383 runs in 65 Tests at 31.32 with six centuries, and also chipped in with occasional off-spin.

He led the averages in batting bowling and catches on the disappointing 1993 tour of India.

Hick also scored more than 3800 runs in his 120 ODIs at a more-than-respectable average of 37.

Matt Prior

The wicketkeeping spot in this eleven boiled down to a choice between three recent glovemen. Here, Johannesburg-born Matt Prior gets the nod over Australian Tim Ambrose.

Prior has played 23 Tests for England and scored 1326 runs at 44.20. He has also picked up 51 catches behind the wicket and two stumpings. He has been less successful in ODIs, scoring more than 900 runs but at an average of only 24.50.

Phil DeFreitas

Philip DeFreitas was born in Scotts Head, Dominica, but represented England in 44 Tests in the early nineties, taking 140 wickets at 33.57 and scoring 934 runs.

He was also a successful one-day bowler, appearing in 103 ODIs and taking 115 wickets, whilst conceding less than four runs per over.

Phil Edmonds

One of two Middlesex spinners to appear regularly for England in the 1980s, Phil Edmonds was born in Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia).

Edmonds played in 51 Tests and took 125 wickets at 34.18.

Andy Caddick

New Zealand-born Andy Caddick was one of England's most dangerous bowlers in the late 90s and early 2000s. His most lasting impression will likely be the demolition of the West Indies in 2000.

Caddick was often criticised for not taking wickets in the first innings of Tests, but he ended up with 234 wickets for England at just 29.91, and took 69 ODI wickets at 28.4

Devon Malcolm

Nelson Mandela was introduced to Devon Malcolm in 1995, and instantly recognised him as "The Destroyer", recalling Malcolm's devastating burst against the South African's in the summer of 1994, when he roared in to take 9/57 and effectively win the Oval Test.

Jamaican-born Malcolm played 40 Tests for England, picking up 128 wickets at an average of 37.09, but was never the same bowler after a run-in with Ray Illingworth, whotried to change the way that Malcolm bowled.