India men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir picked his all-time World XI comprising of players he has played against. Gambhir did not pick the likes of Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath and others as he named his World XI. He did not specify who will be the captain of the side but picked three captains in South Africa’s AB de Villiers, West Indies’ Brian Lara and Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq.
In an interaction with Sportskeeda, Gambhir picked three Australian and Pakistan players each. Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden were picked as openers. They were followed by De Villiers and Lara. Former Pakistan captain Inzamam followed them in the middle order.
The three all-rounders in the side are Australia’s Andrew Symonds, Pakistan’s Abdul Razzaq and England’s Andrew Flintoff. Razzaq’s inclusion was a surprise as he seldom makes it to World XIs. The only specialist spinner in the side is the highest wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs, Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan.
The two fast bowlers are Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar and South Africa’s Morne Morkel who is also India’s newly appointed bowling coach.
No player from New Zealand, Bangladesh made it to Gambhir’s World XI.
Gambhir’s World XI: Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, AB de Villiers, Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Andrew Symonds, Abdul Razzaq, Andrew Flintoff, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar, Morne Morkel.
Numbers behind absence of New Zealand and Bangladesh players
Gambhir has a good record against Bangladesh and New Zealand in ODIs. He has scored 592 runs from 11 innings at an average of 59.20 against Bangladesh. He has scored two centuries and three fifties against them as well. In Tests, he has scored 381 runs from six innings at an average of 76.20 including two centuries and one fifty.
Against the Kiwis, he has played 10 ODIs and scored 442 runs at an average of 73.77 including two centuries and a half-century. In Tests, Gambhir has scored 749 runs from 16 innings against the BlackCaps at an average of 53.50 including two centuries and four fifties.
Gambhir’s first home assignment
After a T20I series win and a disappointing ODI series loss on Sri Lankan soil, Gambhir’s first home assignment is against Bangladesh in the two-Test series starting September 19.
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