ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup: Greatest ODI XI (1975-2019)

Ricky Ponting, Wasim Akram and Shane Warne. (Photo Source: Twitter)

ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is just a few months away, and the teams are gearing up for the competition in India with enthusiasm and dedication. England, who are the defending champions, are the favourites to win the title, along with their arch-rivals Australia. Back in 1975, when the One-Day World Cup started in England, the West Indies became the champions by vanquishing Australia in the final at Lord’s. They went on to dominate the tournament in the next edition as well. Riding on the heroics of Gordon Greenidge, Vivian Richards, and Michael Holding, the Caribbean side won the title for the second time in 1979.

In 1983, India beat the West Indies in the final and got a chance to lift the trophy under the majestic leadership of Kapil Dev. Currently, Australia are the most successful team in the marquee One-Day International (ODI) event, as they have five trophies in their cabinet. Of these five titles, the Aussies have won twice under Ricky Ponting. Among the quality sides, New Zealand and South Africa are yet to bag the prestigious trophy. In 12 editions of the World Cup, supporters of the sport have got some incredible players who rocked the tournament a great many times with their scintillating displays.

Discussing more, let’s have a look at the greatest ODI World Cup XI

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian player to appear in six World Cup editions, along with Pakistan’s Javed Miandad. In his vast cricketing career, the batting legend played 45 World Cup games and racked up 2278 runs with six tons and 15 half-centuries at a strike rate of 88.98.

In the 2003 installment of the tournament, Tendulkar became the leading run-scorer with 673 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 89.25. Riding on his sensational batting performances, the Men in Blue ended up as the runners-up, losing to Australia in the final at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.

India clinched their second World Cup title in 2011, and Tendulkar played a crucial role in his team’s success. Piling up 482 runs with two centuries and two fifties in nine matches at a strike rate of 91.98, he became the second-leading run-getter in the tournament, following Tilakaratne Dilshan.

2. Adam Gilchrist (Wicketkeeper)

Adam Gilchrist. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Adam Gilchrist was known for his aggressive batting style. In ODIs, the wicketkeeper-batter served his national side for almost 12 years, and in this period, he played three World Cups and contributed 1085 runs to his team in 31 contests, at a strike rate of 98.01.

In 2003, Australia defended their World Cup title successfully under Ricky Ponting in South Africa. During the remarkable campaign, the southpaw looked efficient with his bat and deliver impactful starts to his team. The Aussie also smashed 408 runs with four fifties in 10 matches, at a superb strike rate of 105.42.

The left-handed batter showcased his ferocious side in the 2007 World Cup final against Sri Lanka. Utilising his power-hitting skills and experience, Gilchrist came heavily on Sri Lanka bowlers and played a vital role in concluding Australia’s journey with the distinguished trophy.

3. Ricky Ponting (Captain)

<p>Ricky Ponting. (© Getty Images)</p>

Sachin Tendulkar is the most successful captain in ODI World Cups with two titles (2003 and 2007), along with the West Indies’ Clive Llyod. Under him, Aussies played 29 World Cup games from 2003 to 2011 and emerged victorious in 26 with a win percentage of 89.65. In the 2003 World Cup, Ponting led his side from the front as he gathered 415 runs in 11 matches and became the third-leading run-scorer in the competition.

On the final day, the veteran completely outclassed the Sourav Ganguly-led Indian team with his unbeaten 140-run knock. For his sensational batting effort in the decider game, he also bagged the Player of the Match award.

Defending the title in the 2007 World Cup, Australia continued their fearless brand of cricket in the West Indies and clinched their fourth trophy. Talking about his batting numbers in World Cups, he is holding the second position on the list of most runs, amassing 1743 runs with five tons and six fifties in 46 matches.

4. Vivian Richards

Vivian Richards was a vital cog in West Indies’ success in the 1979 World Cup. Known for his spunky batting style, the former right-handed batter scored 217 runs with a century in four matches. These batting figures placed him in the second spot on the chart of most runs in the competition.

In the final match, Richards took the England bowling line-up to the cleaners and hit an unbeaten 138-run knock. His unprecedented innings put the Windies team in a commanding position, and in the end, the Caribbean side pocketed the contest comfortably by 92 runs.

After back-to-back title victories in 1975 and 1979, the Windies team played their third World Cup final in 1983 but choked in the final game against India. During the unsuccessful campaign of the Caribbeans, Richards looked at his best and accumulated 367 runs with a century and two fifties in seven innings of eight matches.

5.  Yuvraj Singh

In 2011, India created history as it became the first side to win the World Cup title at home. Under the magnificent leadership of MS Dhoni, the Men in Blue displayed their best and won the title after beating quality teams such as Australia, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. During their stunning journey, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan produced their best in the batting and bowling departments, respectively, while Yuvraj Singh served the side with his all-round shows.

With the bat, Yuvraj notched up 362 runs with a century and four fifties in eight innings of nine matches at a strike rate of 86.19. Along with the bat, the dasher also grabbed a lot of eyeballs for his marvellous bowling display. Grabbing 15 wickets at an economy of 5.02, he ended up as the sixth-leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

In the important quarter-final game against Australia, India found themselves in a perilous situation while chasing 261. With half of the batters in the pavilion on 187 in 37.3 overs, India wanted an important partnership to walk away with the match. At the crucial stage of the game, Yuvraj showed nerves of steel and stitched an unbeaten 74-run partnership with Suresh Raina. Riding on Yuvraj’s 57-run knock, India eliminated the defending champions from the tournament.

6. AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers of South Africa. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung-IDI/IDI via Getty Images)

South Africa received AB de Villers‘s services in ODIs from 2005-18. During these 13 years, de Villiers represented his nation in three ODI World Cups and accumulated 1207 runs in 23 matches at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 117.29. Playing his maiden World Cup in 2007, the batting legend looked decent as he ended up becoming the third-leading run-getter for the Proteas with 372 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 100.81.

In 2011, South Africa’s campaign ended with an unfortunate quarter-final defeat against New Zealand. Despite his team’s disappointing performance in the competition, the tournament went well for de Villiers as he chalked up 353 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 108.28 and became the highest run-scorer for his side.

The dynamic Protea showcased his batting talent in the 2015 World Cup again as he garnered 482 runs in eight matches at an extraordinary strike rate of 144.31. Currently, he is the highest run-scorer for South Africa in One-Day World Cups.

7. Lance Klusener

News:- LANCE KLUSENER. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images)

Lance Klusener was one of the greatest players of his time. During 1996-2004, he played 171 ODI games for South Africa and won a lot of matches with his all-round talent. In the 1999 World Cup, South Africa played exceptionally but failed to have their hands on the trophy due to a tied match against Australia in the semi-final.

With the blockbuster clash resulting in a stalemate, South Africa’s journey got ended in the tournament as Australia advanced to the final on the basis of their superior net run rate in the Super Six round. The match is often known as Klusener’s plucky batting performance. With the toppling of South Africa’s batting attack, the left-handed batter played some exquisite strokes and gathered 31 runs off 16 balls. His courageous batting took his team close but couldn’t take it across the line.

Notching up 281 runs and 17 wickets in nine matches, he became the recipient of the Player of the Tournament award at the end of the competition. Klusener also ended up as the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in the marquee event.

8. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

For the last few years, Mitchell Starc is an essential part of Australia’s pace attack. His ability to hunt batters with his inswingers makes him one of the most difficult bowlers for batters to confront. In 2015, the 11th edition of the ODI World Cup was played down under, and Starc proved his mettle by clinching the Player of the Tournament award.

Fetching 22 wickets in eight matches at an economy of 3.50, he became the joint-leading wicket-taker with New Zealand’s Trent Boult. In a group match against New Zealand at Eden Park, he went berserk and trapped six Kiwi batters in his nine-wicket spell. Although Australia lost the match by a close margin of one wicket, the pacer’s extraordinary spell became a memorable moment for the supporters of the game.

In the 2019 World Cup, he maintained his consistency with the ball and became the highest wicket-taker in the competition, with 27 wickets in 10 games at an economy of 5.43. Thus far, the speedster has picked up 49 wickets in 18 matches at an economy of 4.64.

9. Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images)

In 1992, Pakistan lifted the distinguished World Cup trophy for the first and only time under the leadership of Imran Khan. However, achieving this strenuous task was not possible without Wasim Akram’s bowling contribution. The left-arm pacer racked up 18 wickets in 10 matches of the tournament and came out as one of the biggest heroes of Pakistan’s achievement.

The speedster looked high-spirited in the final contest against England and delivered a match-winning performance in both batting and bowling departments. With the bat, his brisk 33 off 18 helped the Men in Green to post a decent total of 249 on the board. While Akram also managed to pick up 3/49 bowling figures in his 10-over spell to snatch the game from England. For his outstanding performance, he also got the Player of the Match award at the end of the day.

After 1992, Pakistan got a chance to play another World Cup final in 1999. Currently, the Pakistan left-armer is the highest wicket-taker for his country in World Cups, with 55 scalps in 38 games at an economy of 4.04.

10. Shane Warne

Shane Warne. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Shane Warne was one of the greatest stalwarts of Australian cricket. In his 15-year international career, he gave some unforgettable moments to Aussie cricket buffs. Back in the 1999 World Cup, Kangaroos won their second title in England under Steve Waugh, and Warne emerged as the biggest hero for his team in the tournament.

Trapping 20 batters in 10 matches at a frugal economy of 3.82, he concluded his journey in the tournament as a joint-leading wicket-taker, along with New Zealand’s Geoffrey Ian Allott. In the final of the competition, he bagged the Player of the Match award for his clinical bowling display against Pakistan.

Claiming 4/33 figures in his nine-over spell, Warne paved the way for his team’s triumph. In his glorifying World Cup career, the spin wizard took 32 wickets in 17 matches at an economy of 3.83.

11. Glenn McGrath

<p>Glenn McGrath. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</p>

From 1999 to 2007, Australia won three World Cup trophies, and in all these accomplishments, Glenn McGrath played an instrumental role with his right-arm medium-pace bowling. In the 1999 installment of the World Cup, McGrath took 18 wickets in 10 matches and earned the third position in the chart of highest wicket-takers in the tournament.

While in the 2003 World Cup, the pacer spearheaded Australia’s pace attack from the front and claimed 21 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 3.56. This time too, he found himself among the leading wicket-takers (third spot) in the competition, following his compatriot Brett Lee and Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas.

In 2007, Australia continued their domination in the World Cup held in the West Indies, and McGrath became the Player of the Tournament for his disciplined bowling. Hunting 26 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 4.41, he ruled the leading wicket-taker chart. Currently, McGrath is the highest wicket-taker in World Cups with 71 wickets in 39 matches at a thrifty economy of 3.96.