Strongest World Cup XI of the 21st Century

Bowlers: Brett Lee, Lasith Malinga, Imran Tahir, and Shane Bond

The team features 3 quicks and 1 spinner owing to the fact that the allrounder is also a spinner and there are other spinning options as well in the form of Dilshan and Symonds. Besides, two bowlers have been selected on the basis of their strike-rates and two on the basis of their average.

Australia v Zimbabwe: Group A - 2011 ICC World Cup

In 17 world cup innings between 2003 to 2011, Brett Lee took 35 wickets at a strike rate of 23.5. It's the best strike-rate among bowlers who have bowled at least 100 overs in the world cup. His best world cup figures came against New Zealand in 2003 when he claimed 5 wickets for just 42 runs.

Australia v Sri Lanka - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

Slinga Malinga features as the 2nd quick in the team. In 21 world cup innings, he has claimed 43 wickets at a strike-rate of 23.8, the second best after Brett Lee. He's the only cricketer to take a double hat-trick (4 wickets in 4 consecutive deliveries) in an ODI when he almost took the game away from South Africa in the 2007 world cup game. His best world cup figures read 6/38 in 7.4 overs against Kenya.

South Africa v West Indies - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

The lone specialist spinner in the team, Imran Tahir, boasts of the best average among qualifying cricketers. With an average of 16.31, he has so far picked up 29 wickets in 13 world cup innings between 2011 and 2015. He has got 4 four-or-more-wicket halls in world cup games. And it's a record which he shares with Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Shahid Afridi

Super Eight - New Zealand v South Africa - Cricket World Cup 2007

The Kiwi pacer famous for his pace and infamous for his fitness has 30 wickets against his name in 16 world cup appearances between 2003 and 2007. His economy is a meagre 3.5 runs per over in world cup matches. The best among those who qualified the criteria mentioned earlier. Shane Bond averaged 17.26 in world cup games. His best world cup figures read 6 for 23 in 10 overs, which came against arch-rival Australia in a 2003 world cup game.

So, that's the strongest world cup XI of the 21st century. Think we missed someone? Let us know in the comments.