Nasser Hussain Snubs Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya As He Picks His ‘Ultimate World Cup XI’

Former England cricketer Nasser Hussain picked his ‘Ultimate World Cup Playing XI’ ahead of the ICC World Cup 2023. The cricketer-turned-commentator had to pick one player from each country and he had to pick one wildcard entry as well. 

Nasser Hussain surprised many as he left out the leading run-getter of ODIs this year in Shubman Gill. The batter has been the mainstay of the Indian batting lineup and has been piling up huge amounts of runs for his team in the 50-over format. He’s currently the No.2 ranked batter in the ICC rankings.

For the opening spot, he backed Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock at the top. The duo have opened in the IPL together for Mumbai Indians and they gelled well together. 

At No.3, Nasser Hussain slotted Pakistan captain Babar Azam. The right-hander is currently the No.1 ranked batter in the ICC rankings. The former England cricketer then backed Virat Kohli to bat at No.4. The senior batter has been the backbone of the Indian team for more than one decade and is the leading batter in the ODIs. Kohli was his wildcard entry as he wanted to fit in both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in his team.

Jos Buttler got the nod ahead in Nasser Hussain’s playing XI for the ICC World Cup 2023. The England skipper will don the gloves. Shakib Al Hasan along with Netherlands’ Bas De Leede were the two all-rounders in his team. 

Afghanistan’s spinner Rashid Khan will be the lead spinner in the team along with Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana. Nasser Hussain picked two pacers in his team in Pat Cummins and Trent Boult. The duo has been fantastic for Australia and New Zealand respectively. 

Nasser Hussain Picks “Ultimate World Cup XI”

Here’s Nasser Hussain’s “Ultimate World Cup 11”:

Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Babar Azam, Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler, Shakib Al Hasan, Bas De Leede, Rashid Khan, Pat Cummins, Trent Boult, Maheesh Theekshana.

Here’s a full schedule of the ICC World Cup