The selection was made when The Times offered its former ace reporter on the game to pick and write about them in five instalments in the paper's Saturday Magazine.
Woodcock's rather debatable choice includes eight English cricketers of 12 best of all times and only one Australian Sir Don Bradman, is amongst the 12, two West Indians, Sir Garfield Sobers and Viv Richards, and also another cricketer of Kent, Alfred Mynn who never played in Tests because in his time in the early 19th century there were no Tests. Sydney Barnes, Sir Jack Hobbs, Wally Hammond, Ian Botham, Denis Compton, Sir Len Hutton, and Frank Woolley are his choice in the first 12 greats of history.
Astonishingly W.G. Grace considered to be the father of cricket who averaged 39.55 in first class cricket and 32.29 in 22 Tests that according to him was the best cricketer ever with Don Bradman who averaged over 99.00 in Tests and over a 100.00 in first class cricket as second with Sir Garfield Sobers at number three.
In his mind-boggling choice he also includes three players who have never played in a Test and that includes Alfred Mynn, John Small of Hambledon and all England and Vincent van der Bijl, the fast bowler from South Africa, who played for Natal, Transvaal, and Middlesex in 1980. From Pakistan Imran Khan is at number 16 in descending order, Javed Miandad on 58, Wasim Akram on 60, Waqar Younis on 71, Fazal Mahmood on 82 and Hanif Mohammad on 84. The most notable omission from the hundred best is Zaheer Abbas of Pakistan, one of the few men who made over 100 centuries in first class cricket, a century in each innings of a first class game eight times and a double century and a century in the same match four times. And of course Abdul Qadir, the spin magician.
From India Sunil Gavaskar tops the list on 23, Sachin Tendulkar on 25, Kapil Dev 49, Bishen Singh Bedi 50 and Vinoo Mankad on 92. No place for Gundappa Viswanath, BhagwatChandrashekhar or Dulip Vengsarkar. Of the Australians Shane Warne is on 13, Allan Border on 37, Greg Chappell on 44 and Ian Chappell on 59 after Miandad who is on 58. Notable omissions are Rodney Marsh and David Boon.
Amongst the notable omission from West Indies are their most successful opening pair, perhaps the best-ever, Gordon Greenidge and Desmon Haynes. A batsman of the type of Graeme Pollock features at 30 of the two New Zealanders Sir Richard Hadlee is the 29th best ever and John Reid on 100, the last man in Woodcock's list.
According to Woodcock most of the best batsmen ever, have been English and the best bowlers Australians. Men like Michael Holding feature at number 65 and Malcolm Marshal at 69.
The arguable choice of Woodcock has an overall theme of 'Britannia Rules the Waves'. Many would of course question his choice and raging debates are bound to follow.