ICC World ODI Team of the Year announced

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced its ODI Team of the Year, as chosen by a specially appointed selection panel chaired by West Indian batting legend Clive Lloyd.

The announcement was made at the LG ICC Awards celebration at the Grand Castle, Bengaluru. Presented in association with FICA, the ICC Awards recognise the best international players of the past 12 months.

ICC World ODI Team of the Year is (in batting order):

Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
Shane Watson (Aus)
Michael Hussey (Aus)
AB de Villiers (SA)
Paul Collingwood (Eng)
Ricky Ponting (Aus, captain)
MS Dhoni (Ind, wicketkeeper)
Daniel Vettori (NZ)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Doug Bollinger (Aus)
Ryan Harris (Aus)

Five countries are represented in the 11-man line-up and just one player – Mahendra Singh Dhoni of India – also appeared in the ICC World ODI Team of the Year in 2009. Dhoni is named as wicketkeeper of the team for the third year running while Australia captain Ricky Ponting is named captain, a role he held in the World ODI Team of the Year in 2008.

There are five Australians in the side, three of whom were part of the victorious ICC Champions Trophy 2009 team in South Africa, while New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori was part of the Black Caps side that lost out to Ponting’s men in the final.

Chairman of the LG ICC Awards selection panel, Clive Lloyd, said: “Selecting this year’s ODI team was very difficult but I feel we have a good line up which has both batting strength and balanced bowling. It was a very difficult task in selecting this year’s ODI team but looking at the line-up I feel it has great balance and depth. It would be a tough team for anyone to beat.”

Lloyd was joined on the panel by former Australia batsman Matthew Hayden, former England bowler Angus Fraser, former Zimbabwe player and England coach Duncan Fletcher and former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri. Statistics were available as a guide but were not necessarily the overwhelming factor in the choices made.

The ICC ODI Team of the Year was one of two teams selected by the ICC selection panel along with the Test line-up. There were also nine individual prizes given at this year’s LG ICC Awards.