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In a compelling and nostalgic segment aired on ESPNcricinfo, former Australian opener Matthew Hayden and former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson were invited to participate in a unique and intellectually stimulating challenge: selecting their Best Test XIs of the 21st century.
Cricket legends take the hot seat for the ultimate Test XI draft
The episode began on a cheerful note, with the host introducing the two legendary batters, one a giant of Australia’s golden era, the other still actively adding to his legacy in world cricket. Hayden was jovially reminded that unlike him, Kane is still clocking up numbers, to which Williamson modestly replied, ‘Still trying,’ eliciting a round of laughter and setting a relaxed, respectful tone. The atmosphere was light-hearted, yet the task ahead was anything but easy.
Both players were given a pool of modern greats to choose from and had to construct their all-time XI through a draft system. They wouldn’t just be naming a list, but tactically selecting, often blocking the other from acquiring a key player. The rules were explained clearly: the teams would consist of two openers, a number three, middle-order batters, a number six, a wicketkeeper, three fast bowlers, and one spinner. While no specific venue was fixed, the consensus was to select teams that would be balanced enough to play in any conditions—home or away.
Kane Williamson and Matthew Hayden craft dream XIs that could define an era
Hayden won the toss and made the first bold move by selecting Shane Warne as his initial pick, indicating his strategy wouldn’t be linear. In response, Williamson picked his opening pair early: Matthew Hayden himself and Virender Sehwag. As Hayden laughed at the selection of himself, the draft moved ahead with great spirit. Hayden then locked in Alastair Cook and David Warner as his openers. Williamson, realizing Sehwag was already chosen, chose Cook and Warner as his own opening pair. Moving into the middle order, the childhood dream teams came alive: Ricky Ponting at No. 3, Sachin Tendulkar at No. 4 for Williamson. Hayden responded by choosing Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis, citing Lara as a personal hero. Kallis offered all-round depth, sparking immediate envy from Hayden.
Kane then quickly picked his spinner and a pacer: Muttiah Muralitharan and Glenn McGrath, drawing praise and some friendly complaints from Hayden, who had hoped to secure both. Hayden then continued building his middle order with Virat Kohli and VVS Laxman, acknowledging the challenge of leaving AB de Villiers out. Williamson, though, locked in Steve Smith and AB de Villiers, while making MS Dhoni his wicketkeeper at No. 7. Hayden shot back with his own keeper pick, Adam Gilchrist, and joked he should have picked him earlier. As the pace departments came under focus, Kane added Dale Steyn and Shoaib Akhtar to his attack. Hayden, looking to scare the opposition, went with Brett Lee and James Anderson, rounding off his XI with some of the most fearsome quicks in modern history.
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In the final picks, Kane debated whether to go for a second spinner considering the team would play globally, but chose Akhtar over Jasprit Bumrah to complete his trio of fast bowlers. Reflecting on the strength of the lineups, the host read out the final XIs: Hayden’s team boasted Cook, Warner, Kallis, Lara, Kohli, Laxman, Gilchrist (wk), Warne, Cummins, Lee, and Anderson. Kane’s XI had Hayden, Sehwag, Ponting, Tendulkar, Smith, de Villiers, Dhoni (wk), Steyn, Shoaib, McGrath, and Muralitharan. When asked about captains, Hayden named Lara, citing his ability to deliver under pressure in a weaker West Indies side and expressing a desire to see him lead a world-class team. Kane chose Ricky Ponting as his captain with MS Dhoni as vice-captain. The host concluded that if these two fantasy sides ever played each other in a five-match Test series around the world, it would likely end in a 2-2 draw with one Test match drawn, highlighting the legendary stature and competitiveness of both XIs.
Matthew Hayden’s All-Time Test XI (21st Century)
- Openers: Alastair Cook, David Warner
- Middle Order: Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara (Captain), Virat Kohli, VVS Laxman
- Wicketkeeper: Adam Gilchrist
- Spinner: Shane Warne
- Fast Bowlers: Pat Cummins, Brett Lee, James Anderson
Kane Williamson’s All-Time Test XI (21st Century)
- Openers: Matthew Hayden, Virender Sehwag
- Middle Order: Ricky Ponting (Captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Smith, AB de Villiers
- Wicketkeeper: MS Dhoni (Vice-Captain)
- Spinner: Muttiah Muralitharan
- Fast Bowlers: Glenn McGrath, Dale Steyn, Shoaib Akhtar
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