Shahid Afridi Names His All-Time World Cup Squad, Ignores Highest Run-Scorer Sachin Tendulkar
Published - 01 May 2019, 04:26 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:00 AM
Virat Kohli is the only Indian player who has found a place in Shahid Afridi’s all-time World Cup XI squad.
The former Pakistani skipper selected his all-time World Cup squad and surprisingly, there was no Sachin Tendulkar in it.
The batting legend is an automatic selection in any World Cup squad because of his batting prowess in the ICC tournament.
The highest run-scorer in the history fo 50-over World Cups, Tendulkar scored 2278 runs in 45 matches that he played across six editions.
He was also part of the 2011 World Cup winning team, the final of which was played at home ground i.e. Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
In place Tendulkar, Afridi selected Saeed Anwar and Australia’s Adam Gilchrist as openers.
Ricky Ponting was next name on his list.
The most capped player in the history of World Cups, Ponting also led Australia to two World Cup wins – in 2003 and 2007.
Australia also qualified for the second round of the tournament in 2011 before losing to India.
Virat Kohli comes next on Afridi’s list and is followed by former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Jacques Kallis is the sole fast-bowling all-rounder in the team.
Afridi has included legendary pacers Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Glenn McGrath in his World Cup squad.
Shane Warne and Saqlain Mushtaq are two spinners in Afridi’s squad that also does not have Muttiah Muralitharan, the second highest wicket-taker in World Cup history with 68 scalps.
Afridi, a legend of the game himself, scalped 30 wickets in 27 World Cup matches
He was the highest wicket-taker in 2011 World Cup along with Zaheer Khan. Both of them scalped 21 wickets each.
He had retired from international cricket in the same year but made his comeback later in the year.
He went on to play international cricket till 2016 before finally retired after seeing no hopes of making a comeback.
However, Afridi went on to play for World XI team against West Indies in May last year that was given international status.
That marked another comeback for Afridi to international cricket.
Meanwhile, World Cup 2019 kicks off on May 30th with hosts England taking on South Africa.
The final of the tournament will be played at Lord’s on July 14.
