As the 2011 World Cup creeps ever nearer, we're all wondering who's going to win and who are going to be the big individual stars of the show. Watson? Amla? Tsotsobe? De Villiers? Shakib al-Hasan? Could be all of them or none of the above. Also, will any of them become legends of the greatest ODI tournament of them all? Quite possibly, but who would you put in the All-Time World Cup Eleven? Here's my selection.
Chris Gayle, Matthew Hayden and Sanath Jayasuriya have been amongst the most destructive opening batsmen in this format in recent years but when it comes to World Cups, my openers would be Herschelle Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist. Each played in only three World Cups but if you want someone to blaze a trail in the first Powerplay, I can think of none better. I would have gone for the veteran Sri Lankan but with the Aussie wicket-keeper an automatic choice, the South African gets the nod as a right-handed foil for 'Gilly'. The latter's incredible 149 in the last Final and previous half-centuries at the same stage prove he is the man for the big occasion - and any other occasion for that matter, even if his batting average is a modest 36. Gibbs's average is far superior and his strike rate is not far short.
Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting are legends of Test cricket, the highest run scorers in the five-day game. They are also far and away the most prolific in World Cup history. Since his 1992 debut, the Little Master has accumulated 1796 runs at 58, incorporating 4 hundreds and no fewer than 13 half-centuries. Both are still going, of course, although this must surely be their final World Cup hurrah. Joining them in the middle-order are Viv Richards and Saurav Ganguly. Both have hit huge scores, and the Indian's blistering 183 against Sri Lanka at Taunton in 1999 registers as one of the finest World Cup innings. King Viv performed in the inaugural competition but then it was in the field that he made the biggest impression. Four years later, he was simply the greatest batsman in the world. Once he played himself in, the Antiguan was simply awesome. His 138 not out in the 1979 final and 181 against Sri Lanka in 1987 were mere statistics. It was the way he dominated bowlers that made him so brilliant, and all without ever wearing a helmet. Brian Lara, Aravinda da Silva and Javed Miandad came close to making my team, but just miss out.
There have been many fine all-rounders in cricket over the past thirty years. Kallis, Botham, Wasim Akram, Cairns and the Waughs are amongst them but for brilliance in the World Cup, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev were in a different league. As in other cricket, Imran's bowling was more incisive and economical than his old Indian adversary, but Dev boasts the best strike rate of any World Cup player with more than 500 runs to his name. His finest hour with the bat came against lowly Zimbabwe in the 1983 tournament. India had been reduced to 17-5 but then he smashed 175 not out in 138 balls and took the final wicket to restore the natural order, and his side went on to win the World Cup that year, aided by a cameo innings, tight bowling and a memorable catch to dismiss Richards in the final. Imran also captained Pakistan to victory in 1992 to cap a wonderful career.
Glenn McGrath has taken more World Cup wickets than anybody else, by a mile. Only Muralitharan has a chance of overtaking his 71 in 39 matches, at an average of only 18, and of course he was in all the Cup-winning teams between 1999 and 2007. In the first final he conceded only 13 runs in nine overs! For the other seam spot, there are many fine contenders. Back in 1979 and 1983, Michael Holding took 20 wickets at a time when the West Indies could win the Cup playing only five or six matches. His average of 17, allied to an economy rate of under three an over, was quite remarkable for a bowler renowned for his frightening pace. Shaun Tait played 11 games in 2007 alone, taking 23 wickets at 20 while, four years earlier, fellow Aussie Brett Lee blew away 22 batsmen in ten games. However, my vote goes to Chaminda Vaas. He was part of the triumphant Sri Lankan side of 1996 but the only real minus on his record was when Ganguly and Dravid flayed the attack in that game in 1999. His 3-34 against the Aussies in 2003 could have taken his team to the final but rain and Duckworth-Lewis ruled otherwise. His left-arm swing and control just give him the edge over Holding.
Finally every great XI has to include a spinner. There are only two genuine candidates, of course. In World Cups, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan had almost identical records in terms of bowling averages (just under 20) and economy rates. However, I was quite surprised to be reminded that Warne played in only two World Cups, 1996 and 1999. Therefore, for longevity alone, and his 53 wickets, Murali edges the decision.
So there it is:-
Gilchrist(+), Gibbs, Ponting, Richards, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan(*), Vaas, McGrath, Murali.
Comments welcome, and I look forward to compiling my Team of the 2011 World Cup and maybe reviewing the above all-time XI in the aftermath!
