Best World T20 XI with one player from each of the 11 cricketing nations

T20 might be a format that has been around for just over a decade but there can be little doubt that it has already seen some players stamp their mark on the game. While it may not have the illustrious history that Tests or even ODIs for that matter can boast of, but plenty of amazing players have still played the game and made it richer.So who would get into a combined T20 XI featuring the very best from each nation if only one player from each country could make it? For this list, only current T20 players have been included, which means Brendon McCullum unfortunately, doesn’t make it.Also, players have been chosen on the basis of the team composition, which is four batsman (including keeper), four all-rounders and three bowlers. So here is the current World T20 XI:

#1 Chris Gayle (West Indies)

For Test cricket, the bar is set by Don Bradman. As far as ODI cricket is concerned, it is Sachin Tendulkar. When it comes to T20s, there can only be one player who can be held in as high regard as those other two. It is not just because of his incredible records in the format but simply because of the impact he has on every game he plays.

Few batsmen strike fear in the minds of the opposition as Chris Gayle does. With him at the crease, no ground is big enough and no target is beyond reach. So there is no surprise that he opens the batting in this line-up.

#2 AB de Villiers (C) (South Africa)

Every team needs a captain and who better to lead this side than arguably the man who inspires from the front unlike any other. AB de Villiers is a name that is synonymous for many things, innovative batsman, supreme athlete, brilliant fielder, but one thing more than most, an entertainer extraordinaire.

AB’s raison d'être may be entertainment but the way in which he achieves it is sheer destruction. One of the few that wields their willow like a weapon of mass destruction, AB, much like his opening partner is capable of reducing the bowler to a mere pawn in the game of chess that he plays. Yet, unlike chess, a board game some consider boring, his innings are anything but and provide plenty of reasons for people to tune in and see the beautiful game.

#3 Virat Kohli (India)

The fact that the top three in this side is also likely to be the top three for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the upcoming IPL is sure to make them one of the favourites, but let’s not go off-topic. At No.3 is a batsman who has a Bradman-esque average in T20Is.

Virat Kohli is arguably one of the most consistent batsmen in a format where the mere mention of the word raises eyebrows. Yet through conventional strokes, strong basic technique coupled with an iota of power and lots of precision, Kohli has managed to master a format which many predicted would see the fall of the classical batsman.

#4 Jos Buttler (WK) (England)

Despite winning the World T20, England have never placed much emphasis on the shortest format of the game, but with the appointment of Trevor Bayliss, all of that changed. In Jos Buttler, they not only have a destructive modern batsman who can wreak havoc on any bowling attack but also the perfect poster boy for their new-look approach to the game.

Buttler may only be 25 but he is undoubtedly England’s best T20 batsman and it will be he, who dons the glove for our side. Although MS Dhoni is arguably the best limited-overs keeper batsman in the world at the moment, Virat Kohli’s presence means India’s limited-overs captain misses out but that is far from the only reason why the Englishman makes the cut. His innovative strokeplay, ability to play with freedom irrespective of the situation make him the ideal counter-attacker to have.

#5 Shakib-al-Hasan (Bangladesh)

Bangladesh may be ranked below Afghanistan when it comes to the T20I rankings but there can be little doubt that in Shakib-al-Hasan, they have one of the, if not the best all-rounder in the world at the moment. Capable of scoring fast with the bat and being economical with the ball, Shakib is an invaluable asset to this side.

An all-rounder in every sense of the word, he is good enough to be in the side as a pure batsman or as the lone spinner, or even simply for his outstanding efforts in the field. Much like he does for Bangladesh, he occupies the spine of the middle-order for this side.

#6 Kevin O\'Brien (Ireland)

The World Cup, whether in the 50-over format or the 20 over version, has proven to the perfect platform for associate nations to show that they are not very far behind and deserve to play more games against the best teams in the world. For Ireland, Kevin O’Brien is undoubtedly the trump card on which they rest their hopes of an upset.

A destructive middle-order batsman who also doubles up as a more than handy medium pacer, O’Brien performs a multitude of roles within the Ireland set-up and occupies the important No.6 slot in our side. While Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams was also in contention, the Irishman’s all-round ability and suitability to this format means he seals the spot.

#7 Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)

Such is the rigours of international cricket that few can claim to have considerably modified their role in the side after making their debut for their country. But Shahid Afridi is one of those few who have successfully managed that. After starting out as a destructive batsman who could also bowl a bit, the Pakistan captain is now an extremely effective bowler who is also capable of some brilliance with the bat.

While he might have retired and returned multiple times, there can be little argument that when he eventually calls time on his remarkable career, Pakistan will surely miss his absence. Not only because of his ability with both and ball but also his experience of being there for almost two decades.

#8 Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)

One of the main reasons for Afghanistan’s position at No.9 in the ICC T20I rankings is Mohammad Nabi, an efficient all-rounder who has been the backbone of the Afghanistan side from their qualification for the World T20 in 2010 to the 2015 World Cup where he led the side.

An enterprising middle-order batsman who also doubles up as a useful off-spinner, Nabi makes the cut as the bowling all-rounder in this side, although his batting isn’t too shabby either. While Mohammad Shahzad is arguably the one with more records to his name, Asghar Stanikzai might be the captain and Shapoor Zadran might be the more fashionable bowler, it is Nabi with his all-round ability that is the one player that the current side cannot do without.

#9 Mitchell Starc (Australia)

Australia might have the likes of David Warner, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell in their ranks but there can be little doubt that their most important player in the shortest format of the game is Mitchell Starc. He might be injured at the moment, but his record in the format and his importance to the side are one of the reasons why Australia aren't favourites to claim their first World T20 title.

Capable of bowling fast and full, Starc has shown that he can be an invaluable asset both at the start of the innings with his swing and at the death with his reverse-swinging yorkers. The fact that he can also whack a few out of the park didn’t do his chances of being included in this side no harm at all.

#10 Trent Boult (New Zealand)

Of all the players on this list, Trent Boult is the one with the fewest matches to his name. As a result, his numbers aren’t as impressive as the others on this team but that should take nothing away from the fact that Boult deserves to be New Zealand’s representative in this side.

Without Brendon McCullum, the Black Caps may lack the firepower with the bat, despite the presence of Martin Guptill but with Trent Boult leading the attack, they surely have a bowler who can win games almost single-handedly. After a breakout year in 2015, Boult will be looking to prove that he isn’t just a flash in the pan and continue to deliver deadly toe-crushers and brilliant seam movement.

#11 Lasith Malinga ( Sri Lanka)

Despite not playing an international game for more than three months, Lasith Malinga's performance in Sri Lanka's Asia Cup opener against UAE showed that he is capable of turning it on, despite carrying an injury and not having too many games under his belt.

Malinga is the living embodiment of the fact that the only thing you need to be successful is hard work and patience. Although famed for yorkers, the Sri Lankan T20 captain has shown that variety is his best weapon. Whether it is his delightful and almost unpickable slower balls or his surprise bouncers, the Sri Lankan is undeniably the best T20 bowler in the world and that is evident from the fact that he is on the verge of becoming the first bowler to pick up 300 T20 wickets.

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