Virat Kohli in as captain after fine year in charge of India
Tuesday 2 January 2018 08:08, UK
With so many outstanding performances in 2017, this was an incredibly tough team to select.
All formats were taken into consideration and there are some high-profile absentees, but not many sides could beat this XI…
ROHIT SHARMA (India)
Perhaps no one on the planet is capable of the white-ball batting exploits of this man. After becoming the only player in history to score three ODI double centuries, he then smashed the joint-fastest T20I hundred, from 35 balls. Rohit ended the year in strong Test form as well and the next target for him is to firmly nail down the No 6 spot in the longest form.
JOE ROOT (England)
The batting is so strong in this side that Root has to fit in as opener. While England have had a topsy-turvy 12 months, Root has had another stellar year across the formats, averaging over 50 in Tests, 70 in ODIs and 47 in T20 internationals. The 'Little Boy' done good!
CHETESHWAR PUJARA (India)
Pujara will finish the year just behind Steve Smith in the Test run-scoring charts. His more dynamic and glamorous colleagues regularly steal the limelight but I'm not sure that bothers him. The stability he provides makes India's Test side tick and he will be a key man in South Africa in early 2018.
STEVE SMITH (Australia)
The 'Big Four' batsmen in Test cricket are often spoken of, but is there now a 'Big One'? Smith's Test average is now second only to Don Bradman and it's not a small sample size either - he's played 60 games. At just 28 years of age, he is already one of the all-time batting greats.
VIRAT KOHLI (India) - captain
A staggering 11 international hundreds in 2017 show that while Smith is leading the way in the longest format, Kohli is probably the more complete batsman. Kohli did not lose a series as captain, so he leads this side.
QUINTON DE KOCK (South Africa)
De Kock had a solid year with the bat in Test cricket, a good one in ODIs and took some spectacular catches along the way. The closest thing to Adam Gilchrist in the modern game?
HARDIK PANDYA (India)
It was a breakthrough year in international cricket for Pandya, who put in some crucial all-round ODI performances and broke into the Test team. India will hope that he can be the seam-bowling all-rounder who can balance the side in all three formats, especially away from home.
KAGISO RABADA (South Africa)
South Africa's fast-bowling sensation led his country's seam attack in both Tests and ODIs in the absence of Dale Steyn. He hasn't played a T20 international in 2017 and his workload will have to be continually managed - he is arguably the Proteas' most-important player going forward.
RASHID KHAN (Afghanistan)
A handful of established spinners did well this year but I've gone for the 19-year-old from Afghanistan. Firstly, his is an incredible story and secondly, his 2017 numbers are quite frankly ridiculous - 43 ODI wickets at an average of 10 and 17 T20 international victims at under 10. The way that he lit up the IPL underlined that he is one of the best T20 bowlers in the world.
NATHAN LYON (Australia)
Lyon is consistently under-rated, yet has shown in Australia the gulf between him and someone like Moeen Ali. The spinner is the leading Test wicket taker in 2017 with 63 scalps.
JIMMY ANDERSON (England)
Another brilliant year for Anderson in which he confirmed his status as England's greatest-ever bowler. He has Glenn McGrath in his sights - if he goes past him, it would be a monumental achievement.
Do you agree with Matt's XI? Let us know on Twitter @SkyCricket...
