Probably been done before, but maybe not in a while and things change.
Pick a TEST XI with only one player from each country, to include someone from a non-Test playing nation so Scotland, Holland, Ireland, Kenya etc. If you want you could pick more than one from non-Test playing nations, you just can't have more than one player from any country.
The fun or 'skill' is in getting the balance of your XI right, who do you pick first, what balance of pace, spin, all-rounder, keeper, batting etc
BAT Chris Gayle (WIN) - 97 Tests, 6836 runs @ 42.46 & 72 wkts @ 42.000
BAT Alistair Cook (ENG) - 90 Tests, 7307 runs @ 49.04
BAT Kumar Sangakkara (SRL) - 117 Tests, 10,486 runs @ 56.99
BAT Sachin Tendulkar (IND) - 198 Tests, 15,837 runs @ 53.87
BAT Kyle Coetzer (SCO) - 12 ODIs, 544 runs @ 49.45
WKT Brendan Taylor (ZIM) - 18 Tests, 1172 runs @ 35.52.
ALR Shakib Al-Hasan (BAN) - 30 Tests, 1925 runs @ 35.65 & 103 wkts @ 32.95
ALR Daniel Vettori (NZL) - 112 Tests, 4516 runs @ 30.11 & 360 wkts @ 34.41
BWL Ryan Harris (AUS) - 12 Tests, 212 runs @ 17.67 & 47 wkts @ 23.64
BWL Dale Steyn (SAF) - 65 Tests, 866 runs @ 13.97 & 332 wkts @ 22.50
BWL Umar Gul (PAK) - 47 Tests, 577 runs @ 9.95 & 163 wkts @ 34.07
Alternate for Umar Gul:
BWL Saaed Ajmal (PAK) - 26 Tests, 318 runs @ 11.36 & 133 wkts @ 27.60
I could have gone with Niall O'Brien as my keeper, but decided Coetzer would either sink or swim, with enough batting around him his inclusion may be the least 'costly'. His only knock of note against Test nations was 51 against England.
Keeper might have been a tricky decision, until I remembered Taylor is their only decent batsman. He seems to keep more in ODIs, but I'm sure he'd keep if that was what was going to get him in the "World XI". Not sure I'd want any of their bowlers so he was fairly much a "shoe in".
The Bangladeshi choice for me was clear cut, might not be the best bowler in the world but I wouldn't risk any of their bowlers and batting is far from a strong suit for them either. He has decent figures against England (17 @ 36.94), South Africa (12 @ 29.25) and has only really struggled in both disciplines against India. He has 5wis against all Test nations bar Zimbabwe, only failed to score a fifty against India and South Africa.
The bowling became a concern as I continued, where to get two good quicks and not leave out the better batsmen. Steyn had to be a "shoe in", 300+ wkts @ under 23 apiece, and a half-decent lower order batsman. But then who else, my focus had to switch to getting a good second paceman and I could bring in decent batsmen from whoever was left.
I decided I could spend hours deliberating, or pick from Zaheer Khan, James Anderson and Ryan Harris. I've gone with Harris, means I couldn't pick Clarke who was begging to be in the top order, but then frees up an Indian batsman
So how's the balance? Two good quicks, a couple of good spinners and a decent batting order with the top 5-6 few would not consider strong choices in their respective country's top order, especially the Test picks. I'd have Ajmal as alternate to Umar Gul if the conditions dictated a more spin friendly pitch. I could pick a Pakistani batsman, but I like my top order.
I could of course pick several different XIs, but now I've picked one I'm not sure the differences would be massive. Some of the choices stand out for some countries more than others
Pick a TEST XI with only one player from each country, to include someone from a non-Test playing nation so Scotland, Holland, Ireland, Kenya etc. If you want you could pick more than one from non-Test playing nations, you just can't have more than one player from any country.
The fun or 'skill' is in getting the balance of your XI right, who do you pick first, what balance of pace, spin, all-rounder, keeper, batting etc
BAT Chris Gayle (WIN) - 97 Tests, 6836 runs @ 42.46 & 72 wkts @ 42.000
BAT Alistair Cook (ENG) - 90 Tests, 7307 runs @ 49.04
BAT Kumar Sangakkara (SRL) - 117 Tests, 10,486 runs @ 56.99
BAT Sachin Tendulkar (IND) - 198 Tests, 15,837 runs @ 53.87
BAT Kyle Coetzer (SCO) - 12 ODIs, 544 runs @ 49.45
WKT Brendan Taylor (ZIM) - 18 Tests, 1172 runs @ 35.52.
ALR Shakib Al-Hasan (BAN) - 30 Tests, 1925 runs @ 35.65 & 103 wkts @ 32.95
ALR Daniel Vettori (NZL) - 112 Tests, 4516 runs @ 30.11 & 360 wkts @ 34.41
BWL Ryan Harris (AUS) - 12 Tests, 212 runs @ 17.67 & 47 wkts @ 23.64
BWL Dale Steyn (SAF) - 65 Tests, 866 runs @ 13.97 & 332 wkts @ 22.50
BWL Umar Gul (PAK) - 47 Tests, 577 runs @ 9.95 & 163 wkts @ 34.07
Alternate for Umar Gul:
BWL Saaed Ajmal (PAK) - 26 Tests, 318 runs @ 11.36 & 133 wkts @ 27.60
I could have gone with Niall O'Brien as my keeper, but decided Coetzer would either sink or swim, with enough batting around him his inclusion may be the least 'costly'. His only knock of note against Test nations was 51 against England.
Keeper might have been a tricky decision, until I remembered Taylor is their only decent batsman. He seems to keep more in ODIs, but I'm sure he'd keep if that was what was going to get him in the "World XI". Not sure I'd want any of their bowlers so he was fairly much a "shoe in".
The Bangladeshi choice for me was clear cut, might not be the best bowler in the world but I wouldn't risk any of their bowlers and batting is far from a strong suit for them either. He has decent figures against England (17 @ 36.94), South Africa (12 @ 29.25) and has only really struggled in both disciplines against India. He has 5wis against all Test nations bar Zimbabwe, only failed to score a fifty against India and South Africa.
The bowling became a concern as I continued, where to get two good quicks and not leave out the better batsmen. Steyn had to be a "shoe in", 300+ wkts @ under 23 apiece, and a half-decent lower order batsman. But then who else, my focus had to switch to getting a good second paceman and I could bring in decent batsmen from whoever was left.
I decided I could spend hours deliberating, or pick from Zaheer Khan, James Anderson and Ryan Harris. I've gone with Harris, means I couldn't pick Clarke who was begging to be in the top order, but then frees up an Indian batsman
So how's the balance? Two good quicks, a couple of good spinners and a decent batting order with the top 5-6 few would not consider strong choices in their respective country's top order, especially the Test picks. I'd have Ajmal as alternate to Umar Gul if the conditions dictated a more spin friendly pitch. I could pick a Pakistani batsman, but I like my top order.
I could of course pick several different XIs, but now I've picked one I'm not sure the differences would be massive. Some of the choices stand out for some countries more than others
Last edited:
Alastair Cook 
