I've just been thinking about this recently- if I picked a proper team of players who I've enjoyed watching the most, what would it be? I came up with the following XI:

Virender Sehwag
Herschelle Gibbs
Brian Lara
Mark Waugh
Damien Martyn
V.V.S. Laxman
Adam Gilchrist
Andrew Flintoff
Shoaib Akhtar
Allan Donald
Stuart MacGill

I've taken a great deal of pleasure out of watching each of these players, all of whom offer either languid elegance or just sheer excitement. There's no doubt in my mind that this lineup would offer the most eye-pleasing action that I can imagine.

You pick some singularly elegent players... but they have been no easier on the eye than:

Michael Slater
Michael Vaughan
Rahul Dravid
David Gower
Inzamam Ul Haq
Mohammad Yousuf
Chris Read
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne
Curtley Ambrose
Courtney Walsh

That said.. preference would be for a group of less celebrated players who I've always wished well:

Mike Atherton
Ian Bell
Mark Ramprakash
Mahela Jayawardene
Carl Hooper
Johnty Rhodes
Chris Lewis
Shaun Pollock
Anil Kumble
Keith Piper
Gus Fraser

I'd have loved to see this team play. No top 3 would have played straighter. No 4 and 5 would have played with greater elegance. No 6-7 would have added greater spark in the field (and with the best gloveman of the era, the fielding would have been just outstanding). No three frontline bowlers would be more willing and reliable workhorses.

It's a shame Carl Hooper never made the most of what he had- it wasn't until the last couple of years that he really came good. I also like the choice of Jonty Rhodes, who was not only a great fielder but a very goos (if underachieving) batsman.

I'd love to have the figures to hand, but I doubt that any other player was dismissed to attacking shots in test cricket as much as Carl Hooper. If anyone continually gifted their wicket away then it was this guy. I lose count of the number times he was caught pulling or driving into the covers. Some of the best innings I've ever seen....but also such a disappointment. Still one of my favourites though.

I always loved watching Azharuddin bat.

In his first 80 matches he scored 4,153 runs with 9 centuries at 33.76; in his last 22 matches (2001-02) he scored 1609 runs with 4 centuries at an average of 45.97. If he scored at that level or thereabouts throughout his career he'd probably be spoken of in the same breath as Richardson, Kallicharan and Lloyd.

He was also a handy second spinner (who'd have been quite capable of bowling long spells in tandem with Kumble in my side), a very handy fielder (well, close catcher: he'd be about half the pace of Chris Lewis in the outfield) and - so far as I could tell - an extremely agreeable chap.

Haven't watched cricket for years and years but enjoyed it whilst i have, so unfortunately haven't seen enough of Rhodes, Fraser and co. recognised in previous teams. Still, mine would consist of:

1. Trescothick
2. Gayle
3. Fleming
4. Tendulkar
5. Sangakkara (WK)
6. Afridi
7. Cairns
8. Vettori
9. Lee
10. Hoggard (Tests)/Bond (ODIs)
11. Akhtar

Although the majority of this team is around today, the question states who your favourite players are, and if these guys were batting/bowling at the peak of their form, you can be sure i'd be glued to the TV set

3 free flowing left handers to start me off, before two masterful stroke players. Then you got your big hitting all rounders before the spinner + 3 pace men.

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A very Notts biased XI for me!

1 Tim Robinson
2 Gordon Greenidge
3 Stephen Fleming
4 Viv Richards
5 Derek Randall
6 Carl Hooper
7 Chris Cairns
8 Chris Read
9 Franklyn Stephenson
10 Malcolm Marshall
11 Phil Tufnell

We have to have the lunatic Randall in every team surely?

Lamb has to be there aswell IMO, Greg mathews a certainty and Tuffers too. We must also find a place for the great and mighty Doug Walters (captain). Miller and Compton also along with Botham and Boon. Include Flintoff and Warne and we're nearly there.

We may not win but what a party!!

1 Mark Taylor
2 Michael Vaughan
3 Sachin Tendulkar
4 Viv Richards
5 Graham Thorpe
6 Ian Botham
7 Jack Russell
8 Malcolm Marshall
9 Shane Warne
10 Matthew Hoggard
11 Curtley Ambrose