No Indian in World Cup XI led by McCullum

Melbourne, March 30: No Indian features in the 2015 Intertiol Cricket Council’s (ICC) World Cup team, according to a release by the sport’s governing body on Monday.

India were defeated by eventual champions Australia in the semi-fils of the competition. India remained unbeaten till the tourment’s last-four stage, bowling out opponents in seven consecutive matches alongwith some strong performances by a powerful batting order.

According to the release, the mes of Indian bowlers Umesh Yadav (18 wickets), Mohammad Shami (17 wickets) and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (13 wickets) were discussed as possible selections in the team but ultimately they didn’t make it due to superior individual performances by others.

Pacer Umesh Yadav finished as the third-highest wicket taker in the tourment with 18 wickets behind Man-of-the-Tourment Australia’s Mitchell Starc (22 wickets) and New Zealand’s Trent Boult (22 wickets).

“There were a number of other players that were discussed as possible selections in the team. These included batsmen Mahmudullah Riyad (Bangladesh) and Shaiman Anwar (the United Arab Emirates), Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami (India), Wahab Riaz (Pakistan) and spinners Imran Tahir (South Africa) and Ravichandran Ashwin (India),” Geoff Allardice, ICC general mager of cricket and chairman of the selection panel, said on Monday.

“But there were so many brilliant individual performances during the tourment that it was not possible to fit them into the team. The panel eventually came up with this side, which, in their view, was the most balanced outfit that is capable of beating any side on any given day,” Allardice said.

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan who scored 412 runs in the tourment with two centuries also couldn’t find a place in the team.

New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum was chosen as the captain following his aggressive leadership during the tourment that was the cornerstone of his team’s progression to the fil where it lost to Australia by seven wickets.

In addition to McCullum, the side includes four New Zealanders — all-rounder Corey Anderson, pacer Trent Boult, opener Martin Guptill and spinner Daniel Vettori.

Australia has three players in the squad, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, batsman Steven Smith and pacer Starc.

Two South Africans, skipper AB de Villiers and seamer Morne Morkel, with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara as wicketkeeper-batsman have been selected.

Zimbabwe batsman Brendan Taylor, who finished with 433 runs in six matches, was med as the 12th man. IANS

The team:

Brendon McCullum (New Zealand, captain), Martin Guptill (New Zealand), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, wicketkeeper), Steve Smith (Australia), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Glenn Maxwell (Australia), Corey Anderson (New Zealand), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Mitchell Starc (Australia), Trent Boult (New Zealand), Morne Morkel (South Africa), Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe) (12th man).