Amid coronavirus pandemic followed by worldwide lockdown, cricketers are revealing their favourite players from across the teams by coming up with the best XI or all-time XI of different formats.
Recently, Dinesh Chandimal had disclosed his all-time Test XI featuring some legendary players. Now following the pattern, another Sri Lankan veteran Tillakaratne Dilshan has selected his all-time ODI XI.
Dilshan picked three players from his country, two from West Indies, Australia and South Africa, and one each from India and Pakistan. The only Indian that Dilshan went for is the batting phenom, Sachin Tendulkar. The Kalutara-born chose Tendulkar as the opener along with another great Lankan batter Sanath Jayasuriya.
Tendulkar is the highest run-scorer in ODIs with as many as 18,426 runs to his name in 463 games, while Jayasuriya is the second-best run-getter for Sri Lanka having scored 13,430 runs in 445 ODI matches.
Next two on Dilshan’s list was West Indies’ genius batsman Brian Lara and former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene. Lara has played 299 games for the Caribbean team and accumulated 10,405 runs whereas Jayawardene is the fifth-highest run-getter in ODI format with as many as 12,650 runs in his account.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting and former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis have been given the responsibility to enhance the middle order. Dilshan also went for Ponting as the leader of his best ODI XI.
Dextrous batsman AB de Villiers was picked as the wicket-keeper by Dilshan. The former Proteas captain has amassed 9577 runs in ODI cricket.
Among bowlers, Dilshan picked legendary Courtney Walsh and Wasim Akram as the speedsters in his team. Walsh has taken 227 wickets in 205 games while Akram has 502 scalps to his name – second highest in the history of ODI cricket.
When it comes to spinners, Dilshan went for two all-time great bowlers. He picked Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. Murali holds the record of bagging the maximum number of wickets in ODI format. He has taken 534 scalps in 350 matches. Warne, on the other hand, has appeared in 193 games and bagged 293 wickets.
Here is Tillakaratne Dilshan’s all-time ODI XI:
Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Ricky Ponting (captain), Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wk), Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Courtney Walsh.
