Kohli to lead current World XI; Sachin in 90s XI picked by Shane Warne and others

ByArun S Kaimal, SportsCafe Editor

08/06/2016

Former Pakistan captain and fast bowling legend Wasim Akram was selected as the captain of the 1990s World XI by Shane Warne, Ramiz Raja, and Mike Atherton. Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian in the 90s Test XI, while current Indian skipper Virat Kohli was chosen to lead the current World XI.

Former cricketers Shane Warne, Ramiz Raja, and Mike Atherton on Saturday picked two World Test XIs - 1990s World XI and current World XI - for British sports channel Sky Sports. The trio picked Pakistan’s legendary pacer Wasim Akram as the captain of the 1990s side, while Virat Kohli was selected to lead the current World XI

Former Austrlain batsman Michael Slater was selected to open the innings for the 1990s World XI along with Pakistan’s stylish south-paw Saeed Anwar. Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and Jacques Kallis filled the spots in the middle-order, while former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara took the wicket-keeper’s spot.

The trio went for two pacers and two spinners in the bowling department with two spin greats in the 90s – Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan taking the role of the spinners. Skipper Wasim Akram, and Curtly Ambrose edged out Aussie great Glenn McGrath to form the 1990s Test XI, with McGrath as the 12th man.

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Shane Warne, Ramiz Raja, and Mike Atherton picked Virat Kohli as the captain of the current World XI, while Australian David Warner and Alastair Cook of England were selected to open the innings. The crème de la crème of current world batting – Joe Root, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and AB de Villiers formed the middle order with Kiwi Kane Williamson and South Africa’s Hashim Amla being the obvious absentees. AB de Villiers will also don the wicket-keeping gloves for the side, while Ben Stokes made it to the XI as the all-rounder.

The current best spinners in the World – India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and Pakistan’s Yasir Shah – were selected as the slow bowling options for the team, while Aussie Mitchell Starc and England’s James Anderson filled the remaining spots in the XI. South Africa’s Morne Morkel was selected as the 12th man.

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