World Cup: Team of the tournament

[GarlicJam]

With 5 New Zealand players in the above team, and only 3 Aussies, then surely NZ go into the final as clear favorites?

A team of champions, champion team, and all that.

[Gingerfinch]

Dilshan for McCullum?

Mahmudullah could sneak in, though difficult to dislodge Smith, Sangakkara, or AB.

If McCullum makes a match winning ton in the final, then he stays in

[Arthur Crabtree]

Others have made more runs than BMcC, but his SR is way out on its own. And he's still scored runs.

[Gingerfinch]

Others have made more runs than BMcC, but his SR is way out on its own. And he's still scored runs.

Yes, McCullum's importance to his team is more than just runs scored, just giving another option.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Stats just including the games played against the eight qualifiers, that is leaving out runs and wickets plundered against the minnows.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=bowling

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting

[Dilbert]

Surprising to see Indians not featuring at all, considering they have been much more sublime than other teams.
I guess one factor is that all contributed, there was no standout person.

[Gingerfinch]

Surprising to see Indians not featuring at all, considering they have been much more sublime than other teams.
I guess one factor is that all contributed, there was no standout person.

Shami's poor semi final goes against his inclusion.

[Alviro Patterson]

Jason Holder for Corey Anderson
Riley Rossow for Steve Smith

Honourable mention for Josh Davey

Otherwise about right

Why Rossow over Smith?

Simply impressed with Rossouw's style of play. A technically sound batsmen, good timer of the ball, great runner between the wickets, doesn't rely on out and out agression to score runs yet can comfortably score a run a ball plus.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Dhawan and Shami are possibles. I mentioned Shami for Morkel. I think I'd stick with the Kiwis for the openers though.

[ianp1970]

he has benefitted a lot from NZ's success as a team and McCullum's approach bowling his main bowlers for long spells at the front which has meant he bowls a lot when people are trying to score quickly as the main bowlers don't have a lot of overs left

Maybe a decent policy?

Anyone can go for plenty at the end, and the better bowlers should take more wickets up front...

[Durhamfootman]

i'm possibly being harsh on him and I do get what you are saying , I just cant get past how many wickets he gets from terrible deliveries

from the little I've seen, Maxwell is right up there in the 'picking up wickets bowling filth' stakes. Both of them are even higher than Finn!

what is much worse is Broad and Anderson (the J variety) bowling filth and not picking up wickets

[dan08]

My team of the tournament: Guptill, McCullum, Sangakkara, B.Taylor, de Villiers, Maxwell, Anderson, Vettori, Starc, Morkel, Boult.

[Red Devil]

Guptill, Dilshan, Sanga, B Taylor, Maxwell, ABD, Corey, Vettori, Starc, Morkel, Boult

Sanga or Taylor to keep wicket, and Corey / Maxwell / Dilshan to do 5th bowler duties

was tempted to bring in Smith or Dhawan but couldn't leave out Taylor after his performances. Mahmudullah was tempting but rr was too low

homourable mentions to Tahir, Ashwin, Yadav, Shami, Faulkner and Abbott

so second XI ...

B McCullum, Warner, Dhawan, Smith, Mahmudullah, Miller, Faulkner, Abbott, Shami, Yadav, Tahir

[Gingerfinch]

SA should never have dropped Abbott. In such a tight game, his steady bowling may been the difference.

[shankycricket]

I don't understand how anyone can not pick a guy who has got 5 fifty plus scores in a row including a hundred, which also covers the 3 knockouts, the only meaningful matches of this tournament.