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Cricinfo World
Cup XI
And the winners are...
Cricinfo staff
April 30, 2007
It might have been the longest World Cup but, despite all the organisational
mishaps and lop-sided contests, it produced a worthy winner. Australia were head
and shoulders ahead of the rest - no team even came close to challenging them -
but a number of other individual performers stood out through the tournament. We
asked members of our staff to select their best World Cup XI and there were no
surprises that Australian players dominated the list.
Matthew Hayden, the leading run-scorer, and Glenn McGrath, the top
wicket-taker, expectedly made it to every team as did Muttiah Muralitharan.
Hayden, with 659 runs that included three centuries, stands way above the rest
in the run-pile - Mahela Jayawardene, the second in the list is a good 111
behind. He maintained a blistering strike-rate of 101 through the tournament and
weighed in with seven catches to boot. He managed the fastest hundred in World
Cups (during his 101 against South Africa at Basseterre) and gave a lesson in
pacing of an innings (during his 158 against West Indies in Antigua).
McGrath was similarly outstanding with the ball. The fact that he didn't nail
more than three victims in any match but still ended up with 26 wickets is
testimony to his consistency. He conceded less than four-and-a-half runs an over
and ended with the best average in the tournament, a stunning 13.73. It was a
fitting way to end a glorious 14-year career.
Hayden's opening partner, Adam Gilchrist, was the overwhelming choice for
the wicketkeeper slot. He ended the tournament in a blaze of glory, pillaging
149 in the final in Barbados, but chipped in with two fifties earlier as well.
He also ended with 17 dismissals, the highest for a wicketkeeper in the
competition. Ricky Ponting and Mahela Jayawardene - the second and
third most prolific scorers - were obvious choices for No.3 and 4. Both cracked
a century and four fifties, both rattled off their runs at a healthy strike-rate
and both averaged more than 60. It came as no surprise that both led their sides
to the final.
At No.5 is Kevin Pietersen, making the list ahead of Jacques Kallis.
Pietersen was below Kallis in the run-chart - though one must remember he played
one less game - but the jury appears to have preferred him at No.5, a position
that requires one to both build an innings as well as boost the total. Also,
Kallis had a poor tournament with the ball, hurting his chances of making the
grade as an allrounder. Michael Clarke, the other contender for the slot, missed
out to Pietersen by a solitary vote and was chosen the 12th man.
Scott Styris was the unanimous choice for the allrounder berth. He came
into his own as a batsman, amassing 499 runs at 83, and contributed important
wickets with the ball, notably 4 for 43 against Bangladesh in Antigua.
The lack of allround options meant that the team comprises five specialist
bowlers. Backing McGrath with the new ball are Lasith Malinga and
Shane Bond. Malinga's slingy competitor, Shaun Tait, managed five more
wickets than him but fell behind in terms of economy, average and strike-rate.
It must also be remembered that Malinga missed three matches owing to injury.
Bond was a more surprising pick, ahead of Tait and the impressive Nathan
Bracken, but his speed, allied with a miserly economy of 3.05, probably won him
the day. Bracken, though, it must be said was extremely unlucky to miss out.
Two spinners made the cut: Murali was undoubtedly the best slow bowler in the
tournament, befuddling right-handed batsmen with his latest doosra from around
the wicket and finishing with two four-wicket hauls. Partnering him is another
wrist-spinner, Brad Hogg, who with 21 wickets capped off a second
successful World Cup.
Who will be captain? The votes were split in half over that one: some wanted
Jayawardene for his intuition and ability to handle Murali, others felt there
was no looking beyond Ponting. For the sake of remaining the only captain to yet
lose a World Cup game, and for joining Clive Lloyd in claiming two trophies, we
finally decided on the latter.
Cricinfo's World Cup XI
1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Mahela
Jayawardene, 5 Kevin Pietersen, 6 Scott Styris, 7 Brad Hogg, 8 Shane Bond, 9
Muttiah Muralitharan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Glenn McGrath, 12th man: Michael
Clarke.
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Cricinfo
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