Australian cricket sensation Glenn Maxwell recently shared his fascinating picks for an all-time One Day International (ODI) XI on Fox Cricket, revealing a squad that includes players from India, Australia, and England, along with a few surprising omissions.
Maxwell’s initial thoughts for the opening partnership leaned towards a dynamic left-right combination, pairing his countryman David Warner with India’s prolific opener, Rohit Sharma. He praised both, noting Rohit’s impressive three double centuries, 32 hundreds, and a solid average of 48 with a strike rate of 92. For Warner, Maxwell cited an average of 45 and a strike rate of 97, along with 22 centuries. “Two pretty clear openers,” he stated.
Explaining his choice, Maxwell mentioned, “Could’ve gone with Sachin, but I’m going to go right-left (combination) to start.”
However, Maxwell soon encountered a crucial rule: a maximum of five Australian players in the final XI. Having already picked Australian legends Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan, Shane Watson, Glenn McGrath, and Brett Lee, he was forced to reconsider.
“I might have to get rid of Davey,” Maxwell conceded. “Davey goes, Sachin’s in. To be fair, Sachin’s got three times the runs.” This pragmatic decision was backed by statistics, as Sachin Tendulkar’s colossal ODI record of 18,426 runs far outshines Warner’s 6,932 runs. Tendulkar’s 49 ODI centuries also solidified his place as the second-highest century-maker in the format.
Maxwell’s final dream team proudly featured four Indian players: the aforementioned Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma, alongside batting maestro Virat Kohli, and wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni, who was chosen over Australian legend Adam Gilchrist.
The bowling attack was a formidable mix of pace and spin, comprising India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Anil Kumble, complemented by Australian pacers Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee.
Intriguingly, several prominent cricketers were left out of Maxwell’s star-studded lineup. These notable omissions included Indian icons like Kapil Dev and Yuvraj Singh, Australian greats Andrew Symonds and Steve Waugh, and English all-rounders Andrew Flintoff and Joe Root, as well as Ben Stokes. In fact, Maxwell’s final XI contained no English players at all, despite the initial selection pool.
This thought-provoking team was unveiled just days before India’s limited-overs tour of Australia, with England’s highly anticipated Ashes series against Australia also on the horizon.