LAHORE – Pakistan’s top bowler Saeed Ajmal and all-rounder Shahid Afridi Friday named in the ICC’s ODI Team of the Year for 2011-12.
India’s MS Dhoni has been named captain of the side. This is the fifth year in a row that Dhoni has made the team. His India team-mates, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir, are also in, with Alastair Cook, Kumar Sangakkara and Michael Clarke making up the rest of the batting. The bowlers include Morne Morkel, Steven Finn, Lasith Malinga and Ajmal, with Shahid Afridi filling the all-rounder’s spot. Shane Watson was named 12th man.
Cook, Sangakkara, Clarke and Ajmal were also named in the ICC’s Test Team of the Year for 2011-12. It is the first time that Ajmal, Kohli and Finn are featuring in the one-day team. The team was announced on the eve of the ICC’s annual awards function that will be held in Colombo on Saturday. It was picked by a panel consisting of former players: West Indies batsmen Clive Lloyd and Carl Hooper, Sri Lanka opener Marvan Attapatu, Australia allrounder Tom Moody and England Women’s captain Clare Connor. The same panel had picked the Test Team of the Year last month. The players were chosen based on their performance between August 4, 2011, and August 6, 2012.
Lloyd, who was the chairman of the selection panel, said: “This team, along with the Test Team of the Year was extremely difficult to decide upon. We feel the side has strength to bat well down the order, while also having a good variety for any type of conditions when it comes to its bowling attack.”
Dave Richardson, the ICC’s chief executive, emphasised the team’s strength. “I think we can safely say that this is one of the strongest ODI Team of the Year selections ever in the awards history,” Richardson said.
ICC ONE-DAY TEAM OF THE YEAR: Gautam Gambhir, Alastair Cook, Kumar Sangakkara, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Michael Clarke, Shahid Afridi, Morne Morkel, Steven Finn, Lasith Malinga, Saeed Ajmal, Shane Watson (12th man).