A cricket hall of fame..........

As the long dark nights of the winter beckon you can seek solace in Fantasy Bob's occasional series on sporting heroes.  Just to start us off here is his cricketing Hall of Fame - not in batting order.

• Ian Botham - the ultimate all rounder, FB's loyalty was strained by a series of shocking Beefy hair cuts in the late 70s, but on his day an inspirational figure with bat, ball or at 2nd slip. 
• David Gower - languid elegance at the crease, his cover drive a thing of beauty in itself.  Look at his average and then think of the bowlers he faced.  An electric fielder until he knackered his shoulder.
• Sir Geoffrey - say no more - always a controversial choice so get your comments in quick - but for FB, Boycs is a true great - selfish, arrogant, obsessive not a team man but no one got in line better - if you wanted someone to open to save your life there's no other choice.  Oh, also worth his place for introducing the great phrases 'corridor of uncertainty' and 'my mum could play this bowling with a stick of rhubarb'.
• Alan Knott - saviour in the lower middle order of many an English innings and the complete keeper.  Sans pariel behind the timbers.
• Michael Holding - whispering death - FB saw him once at the Oval - man he was quick and it is true he just poured over the ground in his run up.  Without him Johnners' greatest line - 'the bowler's Holding - the batsman's Willey' - could not have happened.
• Viv Richards - the master blaster - that swagger as he walked to the crease, those huge shoulders, that clip to mid wicket.  Simply the greatest.
• Dennis Lillee - no other bowling action seems as perfect to FB (certainly not his own) - all raw aggression and horrendous moustaches.
• Zaheer Abbas - a great when Pakistani cricket began to show its teeth.  Smooth as silk in puttting the ball just where it had to go.
• Kapil Dev - showed the Indians that they could produce a pace bowler - played with such evident enjoyment.
• Bishan Bedi - forget all this fancy leg spin stuff - Bedi was craft, guile and a threat at any time.
• Imran Khan - exceptional leader - great fast bowler - really brought the inswinging yorker into prominence.

Well waddya think - this is not FB's attempt at a greatest XI of all time (although this XI could hold its own in the East League) just those cricketers who it was a pleasure to have watched in their heyday.