South Africans Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock will lead the World Test and one-day teams in the Super Series in Australia in October, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Smith will lead the ICC World XI in the six-day Test against the Australians at the Sydney Cricket Ground from October 14-19, while Pollock will skipper the international team for three one-dayers against Australia at Melbourne’s Docklands stadium on October 5, 7 and 9.
Selectors chose the greatest contemporary cricketers in the two world teams, including England’s Andrew Flintoff, West Indies’ Brian Lara, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis, India’s Sachin Tendulkar, Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan, Steve Harmison of
England and Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar.
The squads also include outstanding world players: India’s Virender Sehwag, Kevin Pietersen of England, New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and South Africa’s Mark Boucher.
Sunil Gavaskar, the record-breaking former Indian captain who chaired the selection panel, said that the ICC World XI sides would put Australia under pressure to maintain its dominant home record.
West Indies captain Richie Richardson was the last skipper to leave Australia victorious in both Test and ODI encounters in 1992-93.
”This is the first time for decades that the greatest players from the rest of the world have combined their talents, and I expect them to put Australia under real pressure,” Gavaskar said in an ICC statement.
”Australia will be looking to regroup after the intensity of the Ashes series in England, but I don’t think the cricket will be any easier for them against these World XI sides,” Gavaskar said.
”England has shown up fault lines in Australia’s performances and I know John Wright, Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock will be eager to capitalise on that.”
Former Indian coach John Wright will coach the ICC World XI teams, with Goolam Rajah of South Africa acting as team manager and England’s Kirk Russell as the team physiotherapist.
India’s Rahul Dravid will be Smith’s vice captain in the Test squad and Tendulkar will be Pollock’s deputy in the ODI squad.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the selectors had picked two squads of superb players who would test Australia to the limit.
”There are no weak links in either of these squads; everywhere you look there is an outstanding player whose talent enriches the game,” Speed said in the statement.
”I firmly believe that Sunil and his co-selectors have chosen wisely in making their choices and have given Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock an enviable number of options to cover all match circumstances.”
Among the selectors who decided on the world line-ups were Mike Atherton, Richard Hadlee, Clive Lloyd, Jonty Rhodes and Aravinda de Silva.
South Africa have six players across both squads, England and India three, Sri Lanka and Pakistan two, West Indies and New Zealand have one each.
The selectors took into account the players overall career records in both Test and ODI cricket, their form in both Test and ODI cricket over the past 12 months and their overall playing records against Australia and their performances against the world champions in Australia, the statement said.
Those omitted from the Test squad were Michael Vaughan, Anil Kumble, Inzamam-ul- Haq, Younis Khan, Makhaya Ntini, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brendon McCullum.
While among those to miss out in the ODI squad were Inzamam-ul-Haq, Rahul Dravid, Abdul Razzaq, Chris Gayle, Steve Harmison and Brendon McCullum.
Combined prize money and match payments for the ODI series will be $1,254-million, while the total money available for the Super Test will be $1,39-million.
The ICC has accorded the matches official Test and ODI status. – Sapa-AFP