Your World XI

[Captain]

Not really and XI, but with the ICC super series coming up soon...later, i wondered what your choices would have been, but with this criterea:

1)20 Total players.
2)8 specialist Batsman
3)2 Wicketkeepers
4)6 specialist Bowlers ---- 1 spinner
5)Pick Me (captain)*
6)4 Allrounders

*just joking no need to pick me.

I shall post mine soon.

[Paoli]

AN ODI team I take it...

Batsmen:

1. Virender Sehwag- in the form of his life, what better spectacle could their be?
2. Brian Lara- A champion; enough said.
3. Sachin Tendulkar- Enough said.
4. Graeme Smith- Hitting his ODI straps in the last few months and is the kind of guy who can stay the fifty overs.
5. Yousuf Youhana- A class batsman, and has been known to make ODI hundreds at more than a run a ball.
6. Sanath Jayasuriya- Electric when in form.
7. Rahul Dravid- the "mainstay" of the side. One that is needed to guide a team home.
8. Kevin Pietersen- How can he be overlooked after an electric start to his career.

Wicketkeepers:

1. Kumar Sangakkara- Leading the wicketkeepers race in the Rest of the World, quality batsman, class glovesman.
2. Brendon McCullum- Has the ODI edge over Taibu in that he can score quick quality runs.

Bowlers:

1. Shoaib Akhtar- When he hits his straps, particurlarly in ODI's, he's unstoppable.
2. Shaun Pollock- Needed to tie things up.
3. Chaminda Vaas- Best Left arm seamer in the world by a fair margin.
4. Makhaya Ntini- Takes vital wickets.
5. Shane Bond- Brilliant record against the Australians, could do a mass demolition job.
6. Daniel Vettori (spinner)- I chose him over Murali because over 10 overs, I reckon Vettori can keep it tighter and pick up valuable wickets, moreso than Murali can.

Allrounders:

1. Jacques Kallis- Best batsman in the world at the moment; ohh, and 190 odd ODI wickets as well. And he's only 28.
2. Andrew Flintoff- Really coming of age in the last twelve months. Hard hitter, opening bowler who can be economical.
3. Chris Cairns- Still reliable at 34.
4. Heath Streak- Workmanlike bowler who will run in and in and get you handy wickets, and makes priceless runs at 7 or 8.

[vvvrulz]

Very interesting post, here goes... for the ODI team

8 Batsmen
-------------
Virender Sehwag (IND) - Without any doubt whatsoever, will make the openers spot in the starting eleven.
Rahul Dravid (IND) - Is the ideal no.3 batsman to accumulate through the middle overs
Brian Lara (WIN) - A genius, but perhaps may be left on the fringe for the main eleven.
Chris Gayle (WIN) - On his day, is the most destructive opener in world cricket.
Inzamam Ul-Haq (PAK) - Is the best no.4 going around at the moment, might even take the captaincy.
Sachin Tendulkar (IND) - Hesitated with his selection, suprisingly. I believe he isnt quite the threat he used to be.
Stephen Fleming (NZ) - Should he be in the final eleven, he'll of course take the captaincy. Unlikely to open though.
Yousuf Youhana (PAK) - Another ideal middle-order batsman.

6 Bowlers
---------------

Zaheer Khan (IND) - Is an effective bowler if he gets it right.
Shaun Pollock (SAF) - Your line-and-length bowler.
Makhaya Ntini (SAF) - Has been a menace of late with the ball.
Steve Harmison (ENG) - The genuine speedster who could give any line-up the wobbles if on fire.
Chaminda Vaas (SRL) - Steady performer who is always hard to get away.
Dan Vettori (NZ) - One of the few bowlers who gives the Aussies a genuine fright of late.

2 Keepers
------------

Kumar Sangakkara (SRL) - First choice keeper, without any doubt.
Tatenda Taibu (ZIM) - Wins it over McCullum with his added enthusiasm and determination.

4 All-rounders
----------------

Jacques Kallis (SAF) - An absolute class act.
Andrew Flintoff (ENG) - One of the few genuine game breakers with both bat and ball.
Heath Streak (ZIM) - Steady with the ball and more than handy as a lower order batsman.
Shahid Afridi (NZ) - Is an absolute menace with the bat, and no mug with the ball. Picked over the more erratic Carins.

Thats how I would choose it personally.

[Mongoose]

8 Batsmen
-------------
Virender Sehwag (IND) - Tendulkar mk II - maybe even more destructive.
Andrew Strauss (ENG) - new, I know, but what a temperament! Can play shots all around the wicket.
Stephen Fleming (NZ) - Not the best batsman, but can anchor an innings. Top tactician. Captain.
Rahul Dravid (IND) - Best in the world on current form - and his long term record aint too bad either.
Brian Lara (WI) - On his day it doesn't matter who bowls - 'Gravy' will be dancing in the stands.
Inzamam Ul-Haq (PAK) - A consiustent performer over a long period.
Sachin Tendulkar (IND) - Still the best. Class is permanent.
Michael Vaughan - (ENG) -On top form, he's as good as anyone. Showed signs of returning to his best in SA.

6 Bowlers
---------------

Darren Gough (ENG) - For the one-dayers. Keep him for the death - he's still brilliant.
Makhaya Ntini (SA) - Aggressive but also consistent. Would bowl all day if they let him - from both ends!
Steve Harmison (ENG) - Pace and bounce, two things batsmen hate. When he's firing he can take wickets on any surface.
Shoaib Akhtar (PAK) - Fast and potentially deadly. Gets it in the right place often enough.
Chaminda Vaas (SRL) - Good variety with left-arm over. A reliable performer.
Murali (SRI) - Miles better than Vettori. Warne is the only comparable spinner.

2 Keepers
------------

Kumar Sangakkara (SRI) - An excellent keeper/batsman, if a little flattered by his average.
Brendon McCullum - (NZ) - Decent keeper, and can bat like a top order player on occasion.

4 All-rounders
----------------

Jacques Kallis (SA) - Still the best all rounder overall.
Andrew Flintoff (ENG) - A brilliant team man - batting, bowling, fielding, lifting the side when they're down.
Shaun Pollock (SA) - Impeccable line-and-length, with movement off the seam. Can bat too. A great.
Shahid Afridi (PAK) - Would be the joker in the pack for the one-dayers.

A top line-up. But Australia would still win.

[Paoli]

Heya Mongoose,

Have you done an ODI team or a test team? It is supposed to be ODI's, as this is the ODI cricket forum. You may have, but I'm just clarifying.

Cheers

[Rachael]

Your ideal top would presumably kick off with two from Tendulkar and Smith. Even knowing that additional cover comes from Gayle... who is pretty much guaranteed a spot as an all-rounder... I'd still want a further option... with Sehwag, Tresco, Gibbs and Fleming all contenders. Flemming would have to get it on the grounds that he'd also bring fantastic captaincy to the side.

The middle order (3-4-5 but also, possibly, 6) must surely be contested between the likes of Sangakkara, Lara, Inzi, Youhana, Kallis and Dravid.. with the selections likely to be decided on the pitch and the balance of the team. I'd select all 6.. but including Sangakkara as a potential 'keeper and Kallis as an all-rounder. My final middle order spot would go to Sarwan.. who's 4th in the world rankings and is always there or there abouts without quite having the public recognition as belonging in that company (unlike Sehwag who gets the recognition but has a world ranking of 26 - about par for him - that suggests he's pretty ordinary).

With apologies to Kamran Akmal and DeVilliers I'd have to go with Boucher as my specialist 'keeper (alongside Sangakkara).

The specialist bowlers and all-rounders would have to kick off with a first choice line up of Flintoff, Pollock, Vaas, Muralitheran.. Ntini would be the obvious first choice reserve for Vaas... and Streak the obvious alternative to Pollock or Flintoff. Vettori and Harbhajan both get in as the reserves for / compliments to Muralitharan.

Tendulkar
Smith
Fleming
Lara
Inzi
Youhana
Dravid
Sarwan

Sangakkara
Boucher

Pollock
Vaas
Muralitheran
Ntini
Vettori
Harbhajan

Flintoff
Gayle
Streak
Kallis

Not sure about my first choice XI.. but maybe Smith (c), Tendulkar, Dravid, Sangakkara (wk), Lara, Kallis, Flintoff, Pollock, Vaas, Muralitheran, Ntini. I'm not 100% on that as I think Inzi's potentially a better "finsher" (at 6) than Kallis.. but equally.. if the wheels fell off and the side were 85/4 after 25 overs I'd rather have Kallis walking to the crease!

[Paoli]

Rachael, I think, has almost hit the nail on the head. She has identified Sarwan who I somehow missed out on; and so did the rest of us. Sehwag not in your starting XI. You make a case about the rankings, I understand, but, did you not see/hear of his batting in the recent series vs. Pakistan?

[Rachael]

I've nothing much against Sehwag.. but there are only 8 batting places... and despite his occasional great flurry... young Sehwag is only one place higher inthe rankings than Pietersen and is in danger of sinking below Marshall, Razzaq, Cairns, McMillan, Afridi and Astle.

Lara's also got a lowly ranking at 22nd (behind Gayle and Tresco) but at least he's got an all time best rating that puts him up with the best to have ever played the game: Sehwag's all time best rating is modest indeed.. more akin to that of Chanderpaul and Jayawardene than to that of Viv Richards!

Celebrity and reputation for "entertaining" might unltimately determine who plays.. with Sehwag and Akhtar getting in ahead of more deserving players... but in truth it's players like Sarwan and Smith (100 points ahead on current rating, similar career best) who current MERIT those places.

[Captain]

its surprising that we haven' t seen Kamran Akmal mentioned anywhere when lately he is beginning to blossom into a good player, he has beautiful glove work and is handy with the bat, and with the NZ keeper, we haven't really seen him come out and win matches, but with Akmal he saved the test for PAK in India under extreme pressure and in the world down under he scored his maiden ODI century with which Pak. won the match even if it was the only one against Australia.

[Ernest]

8 Batsmen

Strauss
Trescothick
Lara
Sarwan
Dravid
Gayle
Sehwag
Tendulkar

6 Bowlers

Ntini
Harmison
Murali
Akhtar
Harbhajan
Vaas

2 Keepers

Read
Boucher

4 All Rounders

Flintoff
Kallis
Afridi
Giles