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Sydney, Oct 4 (ANI): One of the greatest cricketers of all time, Sir Donald Bradman’s Test batting average of 99.94 puts him in a league of his own, but not everyone is convinced of his superiority over other cricketers.

Bradman made almost 40 runs per innings more than his nearest challenger in the all-time batting records, South African Graeme Pollock trailing on 60.97.

But 100 of the world’s best Test cricketers, past and present, picked their all-time greatest teams in ‘In a League of Their Own’ - published this month, failed to appreciate Bradman’s feats, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Bradman surprisingly made only 53 per cent of the teams picked by a century of fantasy ’selectors’ of combined world-class calibre and standing.

Bradman was usurped in popularity and relegated to fifth spot behind Garfield Sobers (73 percent), Viv Richards (64), Shane Warne (61) and Sunil Gavaskar (58).

The rationale quoted by those who chose to omit him was that they could not fairly select someone, even Bradman, if they had not seen him play.

Bradman does, of course, take his place in the book’s all-time World XI at his habitual No.3, in a team otherwise populated by players of more recent vintage.

Wicketkeeper Alan Knott is the only Englishman in that elite line-up, having appeared in 34 of the 100 teams.

Commenting on leaving out both Bradman and Headley, Colin Croft said: ” … these two played in a time when cricket was limited globally. Both have been highly favoured for runs made against England. But I ask you: When have England ever been the world’s best cricket team? Never!

“England may have invented the game, and its scribes may have conjured up a few heroes. But overall, England has been very poor indeed. Bradman and Headley were great in their time - but, for me, not of all time.” (ANI)