MELBOURNE: Four players from England’s T20 World Cup-winning team were picked in the honorary team of the tournament Monday, with victorious skipper Jos Buttler selected as captain of the ICC XI and Sam Curran the nominal leader of its attack.
Curran took three wickets for 12 runs in four overs in England’s five-wicket win over Pakistan in the final on Sunday and was already voted player of the final and of the tournament before the ICC XI was announced.
Left-arm paceman Curran took 13 wickets at an average of 11.38 runs apiece for the event, including figures of 5-10 against Afghanistan.
The ICC XI also contains star India batter Virat Kohli, who posted a tournament-high 296 runs at an average of 98.66, as well as leg-spinning allrounder Shadab Khan and left-arm pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi from the Pakistan lineup that lost the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza and South African bowler Anrich Nortje were the only players picked from teams that didn’t reach the semifinals.
Australia had three representatives in the 2021 team of the tournament after winning the title last year, but didn’t get a single player selected after slumping out of contention in the group stage while hosting the showpiece event.
England openers Buttler and Alex Hales sealed their spots in the ICC XI with a record, unbroken opening stand in the 10-wicket semifinal win over India, chasing down the 170-run target with ease.
Kohli started the Super 12 stage strongly, posting an unbeaten 82 to guide India to a last-ball, four-wicket win over arch-rival Pakistan on October 23. His India teammate Suryakumar Yadav was picked in the all-star lineup to bat at No. 4 after tallying 239 runs at an average of almost 60.
ICC Team of the tournament: Alex Hales (England), Jos Buttler, captain and wicketkeeper (England), Virat Kohli (India), Suryakumar Yadav (India), Glenn Phillips (New Zealand), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Shadab Khan (Pakistan), Sam Curran (England), Anrich Nortje (South Africa), Mark Wood (England), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan).
12th man: Hardik Pandya (India).
