ICC name best XI of the World Cup Qualifier

Cricket365
March 26, 2018

West Indies captain Jason Holder has been named as captain of the Team of the ICC World Cup Qualifier 2018, which was announced on Monday.

Holder scored 219 runs and took 15 wickets in eight matches and inspired his side to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as well as to the final of the qualifiers which Afghanistan won by seven wickets.

The side was selected by a jury of cricket experts, which included former Windies fast bowler Ian Bishop, ex-Zimbabwe fast bowler Pommie Mbangwa, Australia’s former World Cup winner Lisa Sthalekar (who is also the first woman cricketer to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in ODIs) as well as Ian Callender (correspondent, Belfast Telegraph) and Liam Brickhill (correspondent, ICC Digital).

The jury was tasked with picking a balanced side on the basis of performances in the tournament. Statistics were used, but were not the sole basis for selection.

The same jury had selected Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza as the Player of the Tournament.

The side includes three players each from Afghanistan and the Windies, two from Zimbabwe, two from Scotland and one from Ireland.

Windies’ Evin Lewis’ opening partner is Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer, while Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe), Marlon Samuels (Windies) and Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) form the middle-order.

Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) and Najibullah Zadran (Zimbabwe) are the all-rounders, Mujeeb Rahman of Afghanistan is a specialist spinner, followed by three fast bowlers – Holder, Safyaan Sharif (Scotland) and Boyd Rankin (Ireland). Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan has been chosen as 12th man.

ICC team in batting order: Evin Lewis (Windies), Kyle Coetzer (Scotland), Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe) (wicketkeeper), Marlon Samuels (Windies), Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe),Najibullah Zadran (Afghanistan), Jason Holder (Windies) (captain), Safyaan Sharif (Scotland), Boyd Rankin (Ireland), Mujeeb Rahman (Afghanistan)

12 man – Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)