Black Caps dominate ICC World Cup XICricket

March 30, 2015 06:55

Black Caps dominate ICC World Cup XI},{Black Caps dominate ICC World Cup XI

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Five New Zealanders and three Australians make up the bulk of the official team of the tournament

New Zealanders dominate the official World Cup XI with five Black Caps named in the team of the tournament by the ICC.

Three Australians made the team of the tournament, with two South Africans and a Sri Lankan – but no India players made the cut.

Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum was named captain of the ICC's World Cup XI and opens alongside his New Zealand teammate Martin Guptill.

Batsman Steven Smith, allrounder Glenn Maxwell and fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who was named player of the tournament after the final, are the Australians in the team.

Apart from McCullum and Guptill, Corey Anderson, Trent Boult and Daniel Vettori made the team.

South Africa skipper AB de Villiers was selected alongside Proteas fast bowler Morne Morkel while Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakarra, who hit four centuries in a row during the tournament, was named as a wicket-keeper batsman.

Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor was named the 12th man in a side picked by an panel of experts including former players, umpires and journalists for the ICC who were tasked with picking a team that prioritised balance over solely looking at tournament statistics.

The ICC's general manager of cricket, Geoff Allardice, who chaired the selection panel, said: "The panel had an extremely difficult choice of selecting a 12-member squad at the back of an outstanding tournament, highlighted by some eye-catching individual performances including two double-centuries, 38 centuries, two hat-tricks and 28 four-wicket hauls.

"There were a number of other players that were discussed as possible selections in the team. These included batsmen Mahmudullah (Bangladesh) and Shaiman Anwar (UAE), fast bowlers Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami (both India), Wahab Riaz (Pakistan) and spinners Imran Tahir (South Africa) and Ravi Ashwin (India).

"But there were so many brilliant individual performances during the tournament that it was not possible to fit them into the team. The panel eventually came up with this side, which, in their view, was the most balanced outfit that is capable of beating any side on any given day."

The selection panel chaired by Allardice also included former Engalnd skipper Michael Vaughan, umpire Richard Kettleborough, journalists Andrew Alderson (New Zealand Herald) and Chloe Saltau (The Age) plus Indian broadcaster Harsha Bhogle.

ICC World Cup XI

Martin Guptill (New Zealand)

Brendon McCullum (New Zealand (captain)

Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) (wicketkeeper)

Steven Smith (Australia)

AB de Villiers (South Africa)

Glenn Maxwell (Australia)

Corey Anderson (New Zealand)

Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

Mitchell Starc (Australia)

Trent Boult (New Zealand)

Morne Morkel (South Africa)