Monday 30 March 2015 10:19, UK
World Cup runners-up New Zealand have had five players named in the International Cricket Council's team of the tournament.
Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum was selected to skipper the merit side with fellow New Zealanders Martin Guptill, Corey Anderson, Daniel Vettori and fast bowler Trent Boult also chosen in the standout side.
McCullum scored 328 runs in nine World Cup matches with four half-centuries at a strike-rate of 188.50, while Guptill was the tournament's highest run-scorer with 547 including a World Cup record 237 not out against the West Indies in the quarter-finals.
Tournament winners Australia were also well represented in the XI with Mitchell Starc, who was joint highest wicket-taker alongside Boult with 22, in-form batsment Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell all selected.
South Africans AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel complete the side along with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara while Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe is 12th man.
No England, Ireland or Scotland players were named in the XI.
"There were a number of other players that were discussed as possible selections in the team," said Geoff Allardice, chairman of the selection panel.
"These included batsmen Mahmudullah (Bangladesh) and Shaiman Anwar (UAE), fast bowlers Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami (both India), Wahab Riaz (Pakistan) and spinners Imran Tahir (South Africa) and Ravichandran Ashwin (India).
"But there were so many brilliant individual performances during the tournament that it was not possible to fit them into the team. The panel eventually came up with this side, which, in their view, was the most balanced
outfit that is capable of beating any side on any given day."
ICC team of the World Cup: Martin Guptill (New Zealand), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand, captain), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, wicketkeeper), Steve Smith (Australia), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Glenn Maxwell (Australia), Corey Anderson (New Zealand), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Mitchell Starc (Australia), Trent Boult (New Zealand), Morne Morkel (South Africa) 12th man: Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe)
