Best World Cup XI of all time

MIddle-Order

At number 3 comes Brian Lara

Brian Lara (West Indies)

Brian Lara has been the most fearless batsman ever to play cricket. His deft late-cuts and classic cover drives are said to be one of the most admired strokes in cricket.

Another trait that anchored him up as a cut above the rest was his insatiable hunger for big, massive knocks. Fortified with a high backlift, creating that quintessential Caribbean fanfare, Lara was equally efficacious against spin and pace.

Lara starred in 34 ODI games for West Indies at the World Cups and scored 1225 runs at an average of 42.24 with a strike-rate of 86.26. His emblem of scores also includes seven half-centuries and two centuries with the highest score being 116.

Ricky Ponting (C) (Australia)

Can there be any World Cup XI without Ricky Ponting? No, right. So, here comes Ricky Ponting at number 4. Besides being an aggressive middle-order batsman, Ricky Ponting made his name in cricket as one of the greatest ever captains. With two World Cup titles to his name as a captain, Ponting selects himself to become the captain of this World Cup XI side.

Ponting featured in 46 World Cup matches for Australia and amassed 1743 runs at an average of 45.56 with a strike-rate hitting around 79.95. His World Cup exploits also include six fifties and five centuries with the highest-score being 140*. With 1743 World Cup runs, Ponting is also the second highest run-scorer in the history of World Cups.

AB de Villiers (South Africa)

Mr. 360 aka AB de Villiers has undoubtedly been the best-limited overs batsman to fare the South African team. AB de Villiers has soared through the classes to suit one of the world's finest and most accomplished batsmen, across all formats.

Having played 23 matches for South Africa at World Cups, de Villiers scored 1207 runs at an astounding average of 63.52 with the strike-rate clocking high at 117.29 which also includes six fifties and four centuries with the highest score being 162*.