To start off, let’s not forget the Aussies are a part of the world and definitely a MAJOR one. So we shouldn’t exempt them from selection at any cost. Therefore I have come up with some of my theories that will justify my selection of a non-Aussie World XI. Since Australians have been the reigning emperors of the game for quite a while with 2 world cups in a row, they are a world in their own right in terms of cricket. They have the best batsmen, all rounders, and bowlers the entire world of cricket can afford. And with the superseries in October this year kept in mind, one has to come up with a non-Aussie World XI that is competitve against the world champs.
So here is my criteria of selection:
1. 5 Batsmen (Including Wicket Keeper) 1 Batting Allrounder 1 Bowling Allrounder (Seamer) 2 Spinners (1 off and 1 leg) 2 Fast Bowlers (1 pace-based and 1 swing-based)
2. Current form is a big influence, this is not an ALL TIME squad, this is the current World XI side of world cricket!
3. The team comprises of no Aussies, yet I will list some Aussies which would’ve substituted their non-Aussie counterparts comfortably in this side had it not been for the criteria!
4. Think about it, one of the guys on MS gave another perfect criteria, which is very important when playing aussies, no controversy or black mark on a player!
So without a further a due, let’s get started.
For the number 1 slot, there is no question that India has won the race by creating a sensational opener, Virender Sehwag!He is exactly what you need in an opener to face Australia, Outstanding strikerate, brilliant nerve, and a form to get crazy for!
1. Virender Sehwag (On strike opener from INDIA)
For number 2, One can’t help but think about the West Indian opener Chris Gayle. He is the perfect partner for Sehwag. He can be a great striker of the bowl and can also stop an end when needed.
2. Chris Gayle (Non striker from WEST INDIES)
For number 3, I would pick none other than Kumar Sangakkara, a wicketkeeper batsman who has a decent average and is the only person who comes to mind after Adam Gilchrist. So here is one such case of an Aussie being excluded because of the criteria.
3. Kumar Sangakkara (One down keeper/bat from SRI LANKA)
Number 4, is without doubt, Inzamam ul Haq from Pakistan. The stylish batsman of Pakistan cricket team is also no doubt the skipper of this team. His recent record of triumphs in India and West Indies prove his mettle to handle the side! His average and attitude is also unquestionable! Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting was another candidate to have replaced Inzamam, but the criteria doesn’t allow that, and Inzi is no doubt no less than Ricky, at least according to the recent form!
4. Inzamam ul Haq (Two down middle order skipper/bat from PAKISTAN)
Number 5 spot no doubt goes to the Mr. Dependable of International cricket, Rahul Dravid. The Indian middle order batsman has always been dependable and is likely to captain India in near future. He comes in as the vice captain of this team.
5. Rahul Dravid (Three Down Middle Order vice capt/bat from INDIA)
Number 6 spot is for a batting all rounder, and since Andrew Flintoff is in great form these days, he’ll make a great choice. Also one cannot simply forget that he’s a great bowler too, so he adds to the list of allrounders. Good one right there to capture the Aussies, and he proved this in the recent tournament against them.
6. Andrew Flintoff (Batting All rounder from ENGLAND)
Number 7 is for a bowling all rounder and a seamer. Due to decent performances off late, especially in ODI cricket, Scott Styris deserves this special place in the side. The New Zealand international is a very underrated player, but his career statistics have a totally different story to tell. Andrew Symonds, however, could’ve been an easily better option had it not been for some of the criteria.
7. Scott Styris (Bowling All rounder from NEW ZEALAND)
Number 8 spot is for a leg spinner. And since you also need batting depth till number 8 against a side like Aussies, I would say Shahid Afridi is a classic choice. He has a great record off late, even against the Aussies! His perfomances against India and West Indies too have been very commendable, with his googlies as well as smashers of googlies and all sorts of other bowls)! He is, on his day, a deadly matchwinner!
8. Shahid Afridi (Leg spinner from PAKISTAN)
Number 9 spot is for an offspinner, and it would be almost unarguable to give Muttiah Muralitheran the place he deserves in this team. People might say Harbhajan Singh and Daniel Vettori have been dangerous off late, but Muttiah Muralitheran is a timeless threat to any team. He is the only spinner in this world who has the adrenaline touch to his bowling to even fearlessly bowl the 50th over in an ODI game without being punished. That’s a class. Murali’s economy rate and wicket taking record, even against the Aussies, is highly commendable and this was his place in the side!
9. Muttiah Muralitheran (Off spinner from SRI LANKA)
Number 10, a pace based position, no wonder goes to Makhaya Ntini of South Africa. Ntini is another underrated player like Styris but he knows how to pitch the bowl and make use of a bouncy wicket. His career statistics also stand out in the current South African attack. Plus this is a world team and a South African HAS to come in at some place! Pakistani international Shoaib Akhtar was another great nominee to this position but black marks on his image and his tendency to disappoint on major occasions puts him out of the team. Although his record against the Aussies is decent, one can easily say that the story might not be the same as of now. He has been out of International match practice for a while after missing Pakistan’s recent tours of India and West Indies. Brett Lee, being an Aussie gets omitted but otherwise he’s no doubt the best candidate for this position in other circumstances!
10. Makhaya Ntini (Pace-based fast bowler from SOUTH AFRICA)
Number 11 is another unquestionable spot, which goes to none other than Steve Harmison. The England international has proven time and again that he’s a class act. Harmison has certainly worked his way up into the hearts of a lot of cricket fans as the current best bowler when it comes to technique in International cricket. His performances against Australia make him an invincible candidate to me, and also to the selectors for the super series in October.
11. Steve Harmison (Swing/Technique based fast bowler from ENGLAND)
Folks, coming up with cricket’s world XI is one of the hardest tasks for any selector, let alone a civilian fan like me. I just went over the career statistics and recent form of all the players. One of the most important things was to use maximum nationalities, at least the top notch cricketing nations. And India, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, England, New Zealand, and South Africa, all contributed at least one player each to this 11-player team. I know this team doesn’t have big all time stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, or Shoaib Akhtar, or some big Aussies, but I had to meet the criteria otherwise an 11-player list is next to impossible to come up with. Some great players like Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Yousuf Youhana, and Yuvraj Singh were missed despite decent form off late, just because the team has to fit my criteria number 1. And overall I don’t think this team is bad, it might not look awesome on paper, but surely it can be of GREAT danger against the best of the best in the world, when it comes to being on the CRICKET PITCH!