Greatest ODI XI of the post-1990 era

Pace bowlers

#8 Glenn McGrath

Glenn McGrath is one of the finest fast bowlers in cricket history

The first thing that comes to mind when one hears of Glenn McGrath's name is his unswerving discipline with the ball that tamed even the most aggressive of batsmen.

McGrath's modus operandi was simple but brutally effective. He rarely bowled loose deliveries, stuck firmly to proper line and length, suffocated the batsmen and reaped rich rewards.

In the modern era, the Kangaroos were blessed with many top-notch pace bowlers and such was the strength of their pace battery that even a lethal bowler like Brett Lee, had to struggle to reclaim his spot after injury-related spells on the sidelines.

However, none of them could dethrone Glenn McGrath as the spearhead of the Australian pace attack. While there is Dennis Lillee in Tests to challenge McGrath's claim to be crowned as the country's greatest fast bowler, he faces absolutely no such competition in the ODI format.

McGrath grabbed 381 wickets in 250 ODIs, a highly commendable tally which amply demonstrates his wicket-taking ability but what is more astonishing is that he earned those wickets conceding runs at the rate of just 3.88 runs per an over.

#9 Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram was a genius with the ball

Undoubtedly, the greatest left-arm pacer in the entire history of the game, Wasim Akram was a player worth his weight in gold.

During the course of the 2003 World Cup, he created history by becoming the first bowler to take 500 wickets in ODIs, a feat achieved by no other cricketer except Muttiah Muralitharan.

If we look at the chart of top wicket-takers in ODIs, we can safely say that there won't be a third candidate in the 500 club anywhere in the foreseeable future.

It is hard to pinpoint a single facet of fast bowling as Akram's strength as he was a consummate bowler and excelled in all areas of pace bowling. Yorkers, bouncers, slower deliveries, swing - Akram ticked all the boxes.

He played a pivotal role in Pakistan's historic 1992 World Cup triumph and his 3/49 in the final put paid to England's hopes of laying hands on the coveted silverware.

As his strike rate of 88 shows, he was a hard-hitter with the bat as well and also served as skipper of the side for several years. 'The Sultan of Swing' will be the spearhead of our bowling attack.

#10 Brett Lee

Brett Lee was fast, furious and deadly

A fast bowler running like a cheetah, leaping high in the air at the time of delivery and sending in balls that reached the batsmen at the speed of a lightning makes for a delightful spectacle.

Brett Lee belonged to the exalted category of genuine fast bowlers and was one of the best exponents of yorkers in modern day cricket and will complete our pace attack. When on song, Lee wreaked havoc on the batting lineups.

As in case of all fast bowlers, Lee's career too was often hit by injuries, but when he was on the field, he was often the best wicket-taking option for Australia.

Lee bagged an incredible 380 wickets in just 221 matches and still holds the record for being the fastest bowler to reach the 300-wicket mark, a feat which he accomplished in 171 ODIs.

It may be tempting to include Waqar Younis, the other 'Sultan of Swing' from Pakistan in this lineup but the Aussie speedster edges him out narrowly by virtue of his big-hitting ability.