The greatest XI not to have won the cricket World Cup

#3 Brian Lara

Brian Lara never went close to winning the big trophy

The West Indian great could not win the World Cup for his team in spite of making it to the semifinal in the 1996 World Cup. Lara remains one of the finest and most elegant batsmen of all time. Had he been a part of a stronger side like Australia or South Africa, he might have won the elusive trophy. Still, he played some memorable knocks in World Cups too.

Lara appeared in 4 World Cups and destroyed the South Africans twice with his explosive batting in two separate World Cups. His century against the Proteas in the 1996 World Cup remains one of the finest in the tournament’s history.

Lara was supremely crafty with a high backlift, excellent timing and flexible wrists. Although he is better known for his heroics in Tests, he was a consistent performer in ODIs too. He played in 299 ODIs and scored 10405 runs at an average of 40.48.