Saeed Ajmal included in ICC World T20 team
Saeed Ajmal. -Photo by AFP
COLOMBO: Pakistan’s spinner Saeed Ajmal was named in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) team of the World Twenty20 tournament on Monday, a day after West Indies beat hosts Sri Lanka to win the title.
A five-member ICC panel selected three Sri Lankan players and two each from the new champions and Australia in the 11-man team, the governing body said in a statement.
Pakistan were knocked out of the tournament after a semi-final defeat against Sri Lanka.
Outgoing Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene was named skipper a day after he announced his decision to give up the captaincy after his side lost by 36 runs on Sunday, Sri Lanka’s fourth successive defeat in a World Cup final, in front of a disappointed full house at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Chris Gayle and all-rounder Shane Watson, the player of the tournament, were named openers while India’s Virat Kohli, Jayawardene, England’s Luke Wright and explosive West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels filled up the middle-order slots.
Young Australian seamer Mitchell Starc and limited-overs specialist Lasith Malinga were the two fast bowlers in the team, while Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka was named as the other slow bowler.
Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was selected as the wicket-keeper, while South Africa were the only major cricketing nation without a representative in the team.
Team:
Chris Gayle (West Indies), Shane Watson (Australia), Virat Kohli (India), Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka – captain), Luke Wright (England), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand), Marlon Samuels (West Indies), Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Mitchell Starc (Australia), Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan), Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka)
I thought Imran Nazir was in it too among the opening batsmen !
– Unfair move by the ICC 
Shahid Afridi don’t even deserve to be in street cricket team..
Its dissappointing….Shahid Afridi, Haafeez Saeed, Kamran Akmal, Tanwar etc also deserved to be in the team…
An unfair selection. Shakib too deserved to be selected.
Micheal Hussey should be in this list …
good news, that saeed ajmal will represent pakistan
The headline itself tells the sorry state of Cricket in Pakistan. “Saeed Ajmal included in ICC World T20 team” sounds as if Pakistan never expected any of it’s players in ICC world XI. Contrary to this, this is what the Indian media has reported about Kohli’s inclusion…..”Kohli lone Indian in ICC World T20 XI”. How sad we are that only Kohli has been included……
This is about seeing glass half full or half empty.
This team will play against the best team from Mars in the upcoming Interplanetary Cup to be held on the Moon
Vishnu..good one…
Let’s not forget our players are doing really well in the ICC rankings:
- 2 of the top 9 test batsmen (Younis & Azhar Ali)
- 1 of the top 3 test bowlers (Ajmal)
- THE Top 2 ODI bowlers (Ajmal, Hafeez)
- 2 of top 4 ODI All Rounders (Hafeez, Afridi)
- 3 in top 8 T20 bowlers (Ajmal, Hafeez, Afridi)
- 2 of the top 3 T20 all rounders (Hafeez, Afridi)
Well done boys, keep it up.
Let’s also talk about the most important rankings..team rankings..
So Superb .
Thanks GOD One Our Player is Also include.
Once again ICC shows double standards, they awarded Kumar Sangakara player of the year (which as per my understanding was looking at all 3 formats of the game), but then they did not select him for the World T20 team. Come on ICC which is correct?
“T20 has no impact on the ICC cricketer of the year award ” or “the cricketer of the year is not good enough to be a part of the World T20 team”
Sangakkara was selected player of the year for his performance during Aug 2011 to Aug 2012. WorldTwenty20 team is selected based on performance in the WorldTwenty20 Cup in SriLanka. Both are different.
I would replace Luke Wright with Shakib Al Hasan.
You are overlooking Yuvraj
WHAT IS THE USE FOR MAKING SUCH LIST, is there gonna be match or is it just for showcase?
great question. icc just fooling every one. thanks for these type of question and if any body from icc got this then they must think twice next time before fooling the world.
No,this team will play against Zimbabwe.
Congratulations to Saeed Ajmal and to Pakistan
Dream Team
kALLIS, dWELLERS are ignored… They are the most outstanding players of the T20 format.
Like me many other observers are in opinion that the politics in ICC is started which will be proved disastrous in the long term
Just see where SA ended. not won a single match in super 8. Don’t compare IPL talent with WT20. In IPL people play for money where as in WT20 they play for country pride. Their performance was miserable in WT20.
thanks good.. at least one of our player is in the list…
Wow.. What a team of GREAT PLAYERS
umar akmal also deserve to b in dis team