How a World Test XI could line up in 2020

Kane Williamson | New Zealand

New Zealand has become a formidable Test side since Williamson took over as captain

Few players are as important to their side as Kane Williamson is to New Zealand. Not only is he the best batsman in the side, but he is also an inspirational captain, and has taken them to a new level since taking over from Brendon McCullum. He will likely go down as New Zealand’s finest ever player when he retires from the game.

His Test match record is excellent, having scored 6,476 runs in his 80 Test matches, averaging a touch over 50 with 21 Test centuries - more than any other New Zealand player. At just 29, he will likely end his career with a pretty incredible set of statistics.

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Steve Smith | Australia

There are certainly mixed opinions on Steve Smith. In 2018, he was handed a one-year ban from all cricket for his part in the ball tampering scandal in South Africa. As captain of Australia, Smith also led his country in a period where they were regularly criticised for their on-field behaviour. However, he is possibly the best Test match batsman on the planet right now.

During the 2019 Ashes, Smith was the runaway player of the series, scoring an incredible 671 runs, even though he missed the third Test after suffering from concussion. His record overall is pretty extraordinary, aggregating 7,227 Test runs at a steep and impressive average of 62.84.