Shane Warne Names His All Time ODI XI, Includes 2 Indian Batsmen

The ongoing situation with respect to the global pandemic that is the novel coronavirus [COVID-19] has put the entire world under a lockdown. And, with so much time on their hands, former and current cricketers are resorting to a plethora of activities to keep them themselves occupied.

While the likes of Kevin Pieterson are busy in honing their interview skills on Instagram, former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne is making the most of this time to pick all-time playing XI’s. Warne recently picked his all-time England and Australia Ashes XI during a Sky Sports podcast. And, on Tuesday the champion leg-spinner extended the exercise by selecting his all-time Australia ODI XI and all-time greatest World XI in the fifty-over format of the game.

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Shane Warne picks his all-time World ODI XI

During this exercise, Warne considered only those players with whom he played with or against during his era. In the World ODI XI consisting of cricketers that he locked horns during his playing days, the charismatic leg-spinner picked swashbuckling duo of Virender Sehwag and Sanath Jayasuriya as his designated openers. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and the ever-so stylish Brian Charles Lara occupy the third and fourth spot in Warne’s XI followed by the South African-born English legend Kevin Pieterson and Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara.

“If you look at this side, this is pretty amazing,” Shane Warne said on his Instagram account after revealing his all-time ODI XI.

As far as the all-rounder’s spot are concerned, the legendary spinner picked England’s Andrew Flintoff and the first bowler to scale Mount 500 in ODI cricket Wasim Akram and former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori. The specialist fast bowlers spot went to the burly frame of Sir Curtly Ambrose and ‘Rawalpindi Express’ Shoaib Akhtar.

Also Read: Shane Warne Picks His All-Time Australia ODI XI

Warne himself was a champion ODI bowler of his time. The leg-spinner played a pivotal role in Australia’s triumphant 1999 World Cup campaign where he claimed 20 wickets. His 4-29 in the semi-final against South Africa was one of the major reasons why Australia were able to stay in the game despite the early onslaught by the Proteas openers. Warne followed his semi-final heroics in the final against Pakistan where his 4-33 helped condemned the Wasim Akram-led unit to 132 all-out.

Shane Warne’s All-time ODI XI

Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Kevin Pietersen, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Wasim Akram, Daniel Vettori, Shoaib Akhtar, Curtly Ambrose.