Cricket World Cup History: Best XI featuring one player from each World Cup winning team

Middle Order: Ricky Ponting

Ponting - Australia's most successful Captain

Ricky Ponting is the only Captain other Clive Lloyd to win 2 World Cups successively. In fact, the West Indies and Australia were the only two teams who managed to retain the World Cup trophy. Ponting’s best innings in the World Cup came against India in the final of World Cup 2003 when he remained not out on 140. Ponting is the obvious choice for the No 3 position in this team.

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Sir Vivian Richards

Viv Richards - The original Master Blaster

Sir Vivian Richards was the original master blaster who instilled the fear of God in the psyche of the bowlers all over the world. He had very little to do with the bat in his first World Cup final in 1975. But he made his presence felt with the run-out of the Chappell brothers to turn the tide in his team’s favour.

The World got to witness the genius of Richards only in his second World Cup finals in 1979 against England. With the Windies reeling on 55 for 3, Richards produced one of the best innings in a World Cup final scoring 138 not out. After his mammoth batting effort, he bowled 10 tidy overs for 35 runs to crush England by 92 runs. He is the No 4 in this team.

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Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh - The gusty cricketer

Steve Waugh was Allan Border’s go-to man in the Reliance World Cup 1987. He scored 167 runs and took 11 wickets in that World Cup. But he reserved his best against South Africa in World Cup 1999. In a must-win game, Waugh showed his fighting spirit scoring 120 off 110 balls. Again in the semi-finals against the same opponent, he made 56 to eliminate South Africa. For his guts alone, the elder Waugh could walk into any team.

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Clive Lloyd

Clive Lloyd- The super cat

Clive Lloyd was the senior statesman of the West Indies team of the 80s. He was their captain cool during times of West Indies’ dominance. In the finals of World Cup 1975, Lloyd scored a brilliant century to enable West Indies to win their first World Cup title. Clive Lloyd is the captain of this team.