Yashasvi Jaiswal And Saim Ayub Among Former England Captains' Picks For Next Generation "Fab Four"

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Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton made an attempt to pick the next genertation of 'Fab Four' batters as the current stars enter the fag end of their careers.

Star India batter Virat Kohli, England's Joe Root, New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Australia's Steve Smith are the current 'Fab Four', a term coined by former New Zealand player Martin Crowe back in the early 2010s when he predicted players, who would dominate world cricket for the next few years.

With all the aforementioned stars in the age bracket of 34-36 and near the end of their careers, the talks around a new 'Fab Four' have picked up lately, especially with Kohli and Smith struggling with their form and consistency.

Hussain named a Pakistani star as one of his picks while Atherton picked two rising left-handers in his list alongside the common picks, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and England's Harry Brook.

Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Hussain said after picking up Jaiswal and Brook, "Saim Ayub's just had this injury and it is not sure whether he will be fit for the Champions Trophy, but he could be a dynamic player at the top of the order for Pakistan across all formats."

In 35 international matches last year, Ayub scored 1,254 runs at an average of 33.00, a strike rate of over 89, with three centuries and five fifties in 41 innings and his best score being 113*.

Hussain picked Australia's Travis Head as his final pick, but Atherton said that the 31-year-old does not qualify for the discussion owing to his age. Atherton later went on to choose Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis and New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra along with Jaiswal and Brook as the new 'Fab Four'.

Coming to Jaiswal, the young Indian opener scored 1,478 Test runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.74 last year, with three centuries (two double tons) and 11 fifties in 29 innings, with the best score of 214. Jaiswal top-scored for India in international cricket last year and was overall second, with 1,771 runs in 23 matches and 37 innings at an average of 52.08, with three tons and 11 fifties.

Mendis, on the other hand, took the cricketing world by storm due to his unbelievable conversion rate in 2024, scoring 1,049 runs in in nine Tests 16 innings at an average of 74.62, a strike rate of over 66. He scored five centuries and three fifties, with the best score of 182*.

The Sri Lankan rising batter went level with legendary Aussie batter Don Bradman as the second-fastest player to reach 1,000 Test runs in just 13 innings. Overall in 33 matches and 36 innings last year, he made 1,451 runs at an average of 50.03, with five centuries and five fifties, with best score of 182*.

Across all of international cricket last year, Ravindra made 1,079 runs at an average of 37.20 in 19 matches and 31 innings, with two centuries and five fifties. His best score was 240. This included a fine run in Test cricket, making 984 runs in 12 matches and 24 innings at an average of 42.78, with two centuries and four fifties.