Name: Andrew Strauss
Draft Number: 7
Playing Role: Opening Batsmen
Not only can Andrew Strauss claim to be one of England's finest opening batsmen, he can also argue to be perhaps the most successful English captain since Mike Brearley.
Strauss' test career got off to the perfect start, scoring 100 and 80 on debut at his home ground, Lords. So successful he was, that Nasser Hussain thought he didn't deserve to play instead of Strauss, and it was one of the key factors in Hussain's retirement. Struass played an important role in the 2005 ashes and was always a solid opening batsmen, but it wasn't until he took on the captaincy that his impact was really felt.
He couldn't have taken over in much worse circumstances, with the previous captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Mores resigning due to a break down in their personal relationship, and Strauss' stint at the helm got off to the worst possible start, being bowled out for 51 in Jamaica. Things slowly improved, however. England regained the 2009 Ashes, drew in South Africa, breezed past Bangladesh and beat Pakistan. Strauss then became the first person to retain the Ashes for England in 24 years, and latter that year, England went to the top of the world rankings after whitewashing India. He and Flower had been crucial in this, always coming up with the perfect plan, making sure England were ready for any challenge and always helping the team bounce back after a defeat.
Strauss' personal form has been poor lately, however, and the team suffered a setback this winter. The next year will be crucial for both Strauss as a batsmen and as a captain.
Overall though, if he was to retire tomorrow he would go down as one of England's greats, having won the Ashes 3 times, twice as captain, played nearly 100 test matches, scored 19 test centuries and captained his side to number 1 in the world.