Book excerpt: In order to identify the 25 greatest cricketers of all time, ESPN assembled a panel of eminent cricket authorities. The result of their deliberations became the basis for ESPN's Legends of Cricket. In Legends of Cricket, Geoff Armstrong profiles each of the champions who made the top 25. The panel included Richie Benaud, Dickie Bird, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Ian Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar and Sir Richard Hadlee.The profiles feature the opinions of more than 40 current and former Test stars, including 21 Test captains, the world's most famous umpire and a number of high-profile commentators and writers.