Cricket World Cup XI - Best of the rest

With the World Cup around the corner, I set out choosing the best to have graced the greatest stage of world cricket. Choosing the best eleven amongst the legends is never an easy job. Do you pick Brian Lara or Ricky Ponting or Jacques Kallis as your number 3? Do you pick Shane Warne or Muttiah Muralitharan? Quite a conundrum isn’t it! On any day, they will make their way into any international side. So let's leave the realm of ‘Gods’ aside for now.I set about selecting a team by laying some ground rules for qualification:a minimum of 5 games in World Cupsbatting average of less than 40 and a bowling average of more than 25But can the greatness of a player be assessed only quantitatively? Definitely not. So based on that, I left out few greats of the game (Sunil Gavaskar, Sanath Jayasurya etc.) from consideration. By no stretch of imagination, am I calling this a second string team. These players are greats in their own regard but had their shortcomings.NOTE: The views expressed in this article are that of the writer and not of Sportskeeda as a whole.

#1 Stephen Fleming (c)

Stephen Fleming was the most successful captain for the Blackcaps.

Grit and determination are the two words that come to one’s mind when you think of him. He represented New Zealand across 4 World Cups and led them in 3. One cannot forget his belligerent 134 against a quality South African attack comprising of Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Allan Donald in a steep chase muddled with rain delays. Unfortunately, that would remain the only mark he left with his batting at the biggest cricket tournament in the world. He did score another century in a match where Shane Bond stole the honors against an upcoming Bangladeshi team.

With all that, he will definitely be the captain of this team sheerly for his tactical nous. He led the Southern Hemisphere team to 2 semi-finals in his stint as captain. Both times to be undone by masterclasses by an Asian batsman – Saeed Anwar in 1999 and Mahela Jayawardene in 2007.

He also adds flexibility to the side as he can move down the order if the situation demands to lend stability warranted by the situation.

#2 Chris Gayle

Rarely has a team had two left-handers opening. When we did have one, they took the world stage by storm. Anyone remember the havoc wreaked by Mathew Hayden and Adam Glichrist?

This pair is not as destructive but will compliment each other like hand and glove. With Fleming lending stability, Chris Gayle can go about doing what he does best, destroying bowlers. On his day, he can take any bowling attack to the cleaners.

With some support from the pitch, he can be more than a handy bowler with his quick-arm style of off-breaks. He might not get you wickets, but in this era of run-fests he has a very respectable economy rate of under 5.

And yeah, you need not worry about post match celebrations with him around.

#3 Mike Gatting

This one might surprise a few. Gatting was always a floater and never really settled down at a spot. Be it the Rana affair or the rebel tour to South Africa or the ball of the century, things have always been happening around him. ‘A natural’ is what the selectors called him.

One of the few English batsmen who were at ease with facing spinners, he almost took the team to glory in the 1987 edition until he attempted that fateful reverse-sweep. His career average was a meagre 29 which jumped to 39 at the big stage. He could score at a brisk pace and keep the run-rate up for the team.

#4 Gundappa Viswanath

Talk about artistry, silky wrists, poetry in motion, scoring when faced with a precarious situation, a man who deserved a better farewell, a man adored by the public and a batsman who loved to plunder runs against the Aussies. For the current generation, one name which immediately pops into mind is the classy VVS Laxman, but step back a couple of generations and we saw all of this in the diminutive GR Viswanath.

Vishy was a man who rose when the occasion demanded him to. He had a crackling square cut and one of the few Indian batsman who was at ease against chin music. One argument against his selection can be that he didn't play too many ODIs. But considering his record in Australia and his comfort against the pace bowlers, it seems a very enticing prospect to envision how this man would have performed had he had more opportunities.

#5 Andy Flower (wk)

One of the most accomplished wicketkeeper-batsmen, no Indian can forget the tour in the early 2000s where he plundered 550 runs across 4 innings. He clearly stands out as the greatest player Zimbabwe cricket has ever seen. Another agonising moment for the Indians, engineered by him was the loss against Zimbabwe at Leicester in 1999.

Flower was at it, scoring a resolute and unbeaten 68 to guide Zimbabwe to a respectable total. One of the very few to have scored a hundred on their ODI debut, he top scored for the Zimbabweans in the 2003 edition. His career was sadly cut short by a few years due to political unrest in his country.

He will be the gloveman and the vice-captain for this team.

#6 Darren Lehman

One of the many to have been undone by the abundant talent the Australian team possessed. A good utility player who could play the role of a finisher, he could also roll his arm over and his current stint as coach has proved his tactical nous for the game. He is what one would call a poor man’s Michael Bevan. His bowling skills were often under utilised in the Australian team for they never needed his services.

He was a part of two World Cup winning squads.

#7 Jonty Rhodes

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it superman? No, it was Jonty Rhodes demolishing the stumps to add to the never-ending woes of Inzamam running between the wickets. Who can forget that iconic moment!

Rhodes was an all-rounder of a different kind. We have seen bowlers intimidate batsman before but never a fielder, and never one after. Batting lower down the order, he can easily fit into this team as a finisher. He made a habit of taking quick singles. Quick feet and nimble hands made him an adept player against spin.

With 30-40 runs off the bat and many saved on the field, he sure is going to lift the spirits when the chips are down.

#8 Thomas Odoyo

The much-coveted all-rounder slot.

There were some serious consideration for this spot with a lot of big names around - Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Lance Klusener and Madan Lal, to name a few. But it didn't feel right to have a squad without any representation from the Kenyan team which took the world by surprise by reaching the semi-finals in the 2003 World Cup.

A whole hearted player who brought a lot of spirit to the team, he can pack a few lusty blows down the order and can spring a few surprises with the ball. He played a brilliant all-round match against a fancied Indian team, scoring a patient 40 and had them tottering at 29/3 before a Ganguly masterclass sealed the win for the sub-continent side.

A big player with a big heart, who will bring a lot of passion to this star-studded sqaud.

#9 Abdur Razzak

Time to pick a tweaker for the team and where else to look other than Bangladesh.

The Asian side seem to have a secret factory that produces left-arm spinners. Razzak was the first Bangaldeshi bowler to pick up 200 ODI wickets and combine his economy rate of sub 5 RPO, he will be a valuable asset for this team. He along with Mohammad Rafique scripted a sensational win against India to put Bangladesh through to the next round at the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. In the super eight stage, he had the Proteas spun in a web to mastermind another victory for the Tigers.

Quick in the air with brilliant control, he sure will be difficult to get away.

#10 Javagal Srinath

Known as the Mysore Express, Javagal Srinath was the fastest bowler India had produced until a certain Varun Aaron came around. For those haven't seen him in his pomp, please watch this video. An unfortunate shoulder injury in the 1997 season saw his pace drop a tad for which he made up with the variations he developed. 44 wickets across 3 World Cups makes him the highest wicket-taker for India at the big stage.

In the 2003 World Cup, he unfortunately, is remembered only for the mauling he received at the hands of Ricky Ponting and co. in the final but very few remember that he was India’s leading wicket-taker in that edition.

With his pace, two-way swing and controlled aggression, he will be the leader of the pace attack.

#11 Shoaib Akthar

Mysore Express on one end and who else but the Rawalpindi Express to compliment him. There was nothing controlled about his aggression. He was the fastest bowler of his era. His career average is actually marginally less than 25 but his numbers in the World Cup are slightly on the high side and that was enough for me.

There was nothing more exciting than to watch him thundering down from a really long run-up to deliver a wicked slower ball to befuddle the batsman.

He would have been a delight on bouncy Australian wickets.