Greatest Asia ODI XI of all time

Cricket might have taken its birth in England but it is in Asia that it has the greatest appeal. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the major nations in Asia that play cricket and for each of these countries, the cliche 'cricket is not just a sport but a religion' holds true. Where else can one find frenzied fans burning the effigies of players if they come a cropper and worshipping them as deities when they accomplish a glorious victory? Such is the popularity of cricket in the continent!

As there are a number of great players from Asia, compiling a list of eleven is an arduous task. Some big names had to be inevitably left out. Here is a list of the all-time ODI XI from the Asian countries.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar

For his gargantuan achievements, Sachin Tendulkar is universally considered the greatest batsman to have ever played the game. While a few other greats might have scored runs at the same pace as Sachin, none of them boasts of Tendulkar's longevity.

In an incredibly long career, Tendulkar rarely had a lean patch, remained a perennial scourge for the bowlers and shattered almost all batting records. That a chasm of almost 4000 runs exists between him and the next highest run-getter in ODIs shows how far ahead of his rivals he was. Tendulkar also possessed the 'golden arm' that could break partnerships at critical junctures and change the course of the match.

Just imagine the reaction of millions of cricket fans when a former great creates an all-time list without Tendulkar. He would be crucified for committing the cardinal sin of omitting Tendulkar, the 'God of Cricket' and his credentials as a cricket pundit would come under serious scrutiny.

Such is his status in the world of cricket that he is an automatic choice for Opener no. 1 in our side.

#2 Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya could rip any bowling attack to shreds

If one looks at the performance of the current Sri Lankan team, it is easy to notice that the scoreboard is not galloping in the initial overs as it used to in the past. And the reason for it, as you rightly guessed, is Sanath Jayasuriya's absence. Even nine years after his retirement, the Sri Lankan think tank is still struggling hopelessly to unearth a swashbuckling opener of Jayasuriya's calibre.

Jayasuriya made the most of the fielding restrictions in the first fifteen overs by frequently lofting the balls over the infield and collecting a lot of boundaries in the process. His early onslaughts often put the opposition on the back foot and handed Sri Lanka an advantage in the game. It was this approach that played a vital role in Sri Lanka's historic 1996 World Cup triumph.

Jayasuriya may be diminutive in stature, but there is no doubt that he is a colossus in the history of Sri Lankan cricket. His all-round feat of 13,000 runs and 300 wickets in ODIs is virtually unsurpassable.

While Virender Sehwag too is a very strong contender for the role of the second opener alongside Sachin Tendulkar, Jayasuriya's extremely valuable left-arm orthodox bowling, as evidenced by his tally of 323 wickets, clinches the deal in his favour.

#3 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is India's Mr Consistent

Replacing a player of the calibre of Sachin Tendulkar, worshipped and revered by millions of people across the globe, might have been considered an impossible task but Virat Kohli accomplished precisely that. Taking into account the rate at which Kohli is churning out hundreds, it is not an exaggeration to say that he will surpass Tendulkar's record of 49 centuries in ODIs.

The maestro's aggregate of 18,000 plus runs too is under considerable threat from Kohli's punishing blade. In the worst case, Kohli is at least likely to come within striking distance of Tendulkar's tally. Such is his run-scoring appetite

Kohli's average of 59.33 and strike rate of 93.25 are exceptional. He has notched up a spectacular 43 centuries in less than 250 games, with a tally of 11867 runs. Prolific and aggressive in all formats and in all conditions, Kohli is a player any captain would dream of having in his side.

The relentless run-machine and an expert chaser, the current Indian skipper will take up the vital no.3 slot in our side.

#4 Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara was an indispensable member of the Lankan lineup

Anyone who watched Kumar Sangakkara in full swing would certify that he belonged to the class of most elegant left-handers in the game. With an aggregate of 14234 runs in 404 matches, Sangakkara is the second-highest run-getter in ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar, and the highest run-getter for Sri Lanka. He also holds the record for being the only player in history to score four consecutive hundreds in ODIs, a feat he achieved in the 2015 World Cup.

Throughout his career, he remained the lynchpin of the Lankan batting lineup and was the team's most valuable batsman in limited-overs cricket along with Sanath Jayasuriya. He is an excellent wicket-keeper too, as his tally of 402 catches and 99 stumpings demonstrates. When on song, he churns out pleasing strokes at will, and without using brute power, he can set the scoreboard racing. It is hard to keep a stylish player like Sanga out of the team and hence, the no. 4 spot is reserved for him.

#5 Inzamam-ul-Haq

Inzamam-ul-Haq's batting was a thing of beauty

Inzamam-ul-Haq may have been the butt of jokes for his burly frame and poor running between the wickets, but not even his fiercest knockers can deny that he is Pakistan's greatest ODI batsman ever. His record of 11,739 runs in 378 ODIs at an average touching 40 finds few rivals among his compatriots. Along with Mohammad Yousuf, he formed the nucleus of Pakistan's middle-order for a long time.

Very early in his career, Inzamam played a knock that immortalised him in the history of Pakistani cricket. Against the rampaging Kiwis in the 1992 World Cup semi-final, Pakistan's defeat looked certain until Inzamam turned the match on its head with a blistering 60 off just 37 balls. That knock made him a hero and he continued to serve Pakistani cricket with distinction till he pulled the curtains down on a glittering career in 2007.

The giant from Multan oozed elegance with the willow and was adept at playing both pace and spin. The highest run-getter for Pakistan will take up the no.5 slot in our batting line-up.

#6 MS Dhoni (wk)

MS Dhoni can switch gears according to the situation

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of Indian cricket's most charismatic cricketers ever. He started as an all-out attacking batsman, smashing a blistering 148 in only his fifth ODI, a knock that announced his arrival on the international stage. The boy from Jharkhand grew from strength to strength and, soon enough, became the darling of the crowds.

After taking up the role of captaincy, Dhoni cut down the aggression in his game and became more cautious, but still retained the ability to destroy bowling attacks when it mattered. He is one of the handful of batsmen in world cricket to boast of an ODI batting average over 50, a testament to his incredible consistency.

For being the architect of many successful run chases in high-pressure situations, the uber-cool Dhoni is rightly considered the greatest finisher in ODI cricket. His glove-work is top-notch too.

As a captain, he led the young Indian brigade to many splendid victories in limited-overs cricket, the most notable one being the 2011 World Cup triumph in which he played a stellar role in the final with an unbeaten 91.

#7 Kapil Dev(c)

Kapil Dev was one of the leading all-rounders of his era

Kapil Dev is by far the best all-rounder India has ever produced. In an age when a strike rate of 70 was considered decent, 'the Haryana Hurricane' bludgeoned runs at a breakneck 95 runs per hundred balls. Even by today's inflated batting strike rates, it is phenomenal. His bowling record of 253 wickets in 225 matches at a miserly economy rate of 3.71 is commendable too.

Other contenders for this slot include Imran Khan, the legendary all-rounder from Pakistan and Shakib Al Hasan, one of the finest all-rounders in world cricket today.

Imran has a better batting average (33 to Kapil's 23), but Kapil's far superior strike rate (95 to Imran Khan's 72) amply compensates for the difference in batting average. Shakib, who bowls slow left-arm orthodox, misses out as there is already a left-arm spin all-round option in the form of Jayasuriya.

Moreover, Kapil, being a pace-bowling all-rounder, can act as the third pacer. At no. 7, he can provide the surge needed in the death overs with his devastating batting.

As a skipper, Kapil was brilliant. He led a team of underdogs to a historic World Cup triumph in 1983 and will be the captain of our side.

#8 Shahid Afridi

Nobody in the game's history batted as belligerently as Shahid Afridi

When a player makes 50 runs in 50 balls, it is considered to be a quick-fire innings, but if the player is Shahid Afridi, it is regarded as a restrained knock. Such is the aggression of this swashbuckling all-rounder from Pakistan. Afridi started his career as a hard-hitting batsman, smashing the fastest hundred at the time (off just 37 balls) in his first ODI innings. His tendency to smash almost every ball for a boundary made him the most dangerous and entertaining batsman around, but that also meant he was easy pickings for the bowlers.

His leg-spin improved vastly in the second half of his career, so much so that he became indispensable to the team purely on the strength of his bowling when his ability with the bat deserted him. Eventually, he ended his career as one of the most excellent all-rounders in the ODI format with 8064 runs and 395 wickets in 398 matches.

His strike rate of 117 is miles ahead of that of any other hard-hitting batsman in the world. At no. 8, all Afridi needs is an over or two to alter the course of the game entirely with his incredible hitting. His fast leg-spinners can wreak havoc on the batsmen in the middle overs as well.

#9 Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram was a consummate bowler

Coming from a country rich in pace bowling reserves, Wasim Akram etched his name as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the entire history of the game. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is not an aspect of fast bowling that Akram did not have complete mastery over. His place as the greatest left-arm pacer remains unrivalled.

Nicknamed the 'Sultan of Swing' for his exceptional ability to swing the ball, Akram deceived the batsmen with his vast repertoire of skills and was very hard to score off. He also holds the record for being the first bowler in the world to breach the 500-wicket barrier in ODIs.

With 502 wickets in ODIs and 414 in Tests, he is one of the most prolific wicket-takers ever. Not surprisingly, he was also one of the most frugal bowlers of his era as his economy of 3.89 shows. The left-arm wizard is an automatic choice and will be the leader of our pace attack.

#10 Waqar Younis

In his heydey, Waqar Younis was the deadliest bowler in the world

Such were the fast bowling riches of Pakistan that they had not just one 'Sultan of Swing' but two at the same time! Waqar Younis, 'the other Sultan of Swing,' was no less lethal than the legendary Wasim Akram, and was, in fact, a better wicket-taker. At his best, Waqar unleashed unplayable yorkers like nobody else and hit the bottom of the stumps or the toes of the batsmen at lightning speed.

And the fact that those yorkers could also swing in any direction multiplied the danger. When on song, Waqar decimated batting lineups mercilessly.

His tally of 416 wickets in 262 matches studded with 13 five-wicket hauls is stupendous and puts him in the pantheon of the greatest pacers in the ODI format. Along with Wasim, he formed one of the most feared bowling combinations ever.

Who better to open the bowling with Akram than Waqar? The two Ws make for a glorious sight for everyone watching them, except the batsmen of course, for whom they can be a real nightmare.

#11 Muttiah Muralitharan

The wily Muralitharan was the backbone of the Lankan bowling

For the bulk of his career, Muttiah Muralitharan bore the lion's share of the burden of Sri Lanka's bowling on his shoulders and did a phenomenal job at that. Without an iota of doubt, he was the biggest match-winner Sri Lanka has ever produced.

One often hears of spinners blaming the lack of assistance from the pitch for their inability to extract proper turn, but with Murali, there were no such problems. Regardless of the pitch and the conditions, Murali could turn the ball massively in either direction, thus spinning a web of confusion around the batsmen. It is because of the massive success Murali had that the 'Doosra' has become very popular now.

There may be a few strong contenders like Virat Kohli and Alastair Cook who can overhaul some of Tendulkar's batting records, but Murali faces no such challenge with his bowling records. Another interesting fact is that Murali's bowling records (800 wickets in Tests and 534 in ODIs) are far more unsurpassable than Tendulkar's, and yet, it is not he who is worshipped as 'the God of Cricket.' Muralitharan will be the spearhead of the spin attack in our side.