Teams of the Decade (2000 - 2009)

The 2000s is arguably one of the best eras of cricket with iconic test matches, highly competitive ODIs and the emergence of T20s. Let us not forget the immense talent abound in every team. It was a cricket fan's paradise.

Before we dive in, here are some parameters. Because it is a the Team of the "Decade", I will need a player to play for at least 5 years in between 2000 and 2009. So players debuting during or after 2006 will miss out on the Test and ODI XIs. However, given that T20Is were played in limited quantity, a minimum of 10 matches is the cut off. I will only be looking at international performances and consistency and not first class or other leagues. I will also be naming three players who were very close to making the cut. Though statistics are a great tool for analysing different players, there is a definite qualitative object that cannot be free from bias. So this is just my opinion, which you do not need to agree with.

Obviously, this is one of toughest decades to pick a Test XI from. Before I dug deep into research, I thought it was going to be easy. Just put together all the legends and voila, you have your XI. I will be briefly explaining the research process so that you get an idea of how many players were talented enough to make the cut. I first drew up 45 names of cricketers based on opinions heard, articles read etc. Then, I undertook a qualitative and quantitative research. I eliminated batsmen if they had an average of less than 50 during the decade. Out of the 25 names I started with, I could only eliminate 10, which left me with 15 quality batsmen whereas I needed only 5. Choosing my all-rounder was the easiest task. Only one name stood out and Jacques Kallis picked himself. It was not as easy to select a wicket keeper. Should I go with a specialist keeper in Mark Boucher, a batsman who could keep in Kumar Sangakkara or should I pick Adam Gilchrist, who was a bit of both? When it came to the tail enders, three bowlers simply walked in as they were the leading wicket takers of the time. This left me with 8 options for for the last bowler and 3,60,360 combinations for the top five. I literally cannot stress enough how hard it was to choose players for numbers 3,4 and 5. The final XI is a result of deep ponderation and constant beration.

Text XI

1) Matthew Hayden - This brilliant southpaw always looked to dominate every game and made sure that his team got off to a brilliant start

2) Virender Sehwag - An extremely aggressive opener, his cool demeanor and fantastic hand-eye coordination always terrorised opposition

3) Ricky Ponting (C) - One of the most prolific top order batsman, a definite match winner, he walks into the team as captain because of his stellar record

4) Jacques Kallis - A spotless test record and one of the best all-rounders ever, there is no way he doesn't make it into this side

5) Sachin Tendulkar - By far one of the best middle order batsmen, he has amassed runs like no other

6) Shivnarine Chanderpaul - Often not given due credit, he was one of the pillars who carried his side to victory many a time

7) Adam Gilchrist (WK) - An explosive lower order batsman and a superb wicketkeeper, he is an essential member of the team

8) Shaun Pollock - A genuine bowling all-rounder who is considered to be one of the finest pacers of his time, he will definitely take the new ball

9) Shane Warne - The best leg spinner of all time, if not the best spinner, walks into this team without question

10) Muttiah Muralitharan - The highest wicket taker of all time, he was able to make the ball in turn in any condition

11) Glenn McGrath - One of the greatest ever fast bowlers whose precision and ability to bowl long spells like a machine makes him indispensable to any side

Others: Rahul Dravid, Brian Lara, Kumar Sangakkara

---

Picking an ODI team wasn't easy either. In the last 10 years, we are so used to seeing batsmen averaging in the 50s and late 40s but in the 2000s, a good average meant 45 odd. There were at least a couple of choices for top order batsmen whereas there were hardly any choices for middle order batsman who averaged 40. For test cricket, there were loads of articles analysing the very best of the decade but hardly anything for ODIs. Though it was rather challenging, the resulting XI was pretty satisfying.

ODI XI

1) Matthew Hayden - A name that is synonymous with domination, this southpaw was an easy pick.

2) Sachin Tendulkar - The best ODI opener of all time walks into this team without question.

3) Ricky Ponting (C) - An absolute genius when it comes to batting, he's given the mantle of captain after his exploits in both the World Cups.

4) Jacques Kallis - This Protean mainstay is always a valuable all round addition to any team.

5) Kevin Pietersen - A rockstar of the game, his dazzling switch hits and aggressive mindset are a must have in the middle order.

6) Andrew Symonds - Another explosive batsman, an excellent fielder and a handy bowler, he is an excellent addition to every team.

7) M S Dhoni (WK) - A batter born to finish and a genius born to keep wickets, he'd be a part of every ODI XI.

8) Shaun Pollock - A veteran fast bowler who can chip in a bit with the bat, it makes perfect sense to have in the bowling unit.

9) Brett Lee - A terrifying bowler, rattling and ravaging batsmen with his pace and bounce, he is an important weapon in every captain's artillery.

10) Muttiah Muralitharan - The highest wicket taker of all time, it's a no brainer to have this spinner in the team.

11) Glenn McGrath - The most successful bowler in the World Cup and a machine who nails precision, he is an absolute delight in ODIs.

Others: Mike Hussey, Shane Bond, Chaminda Vaas

---

If ODIs lacked data, imagine the state of affairs for T20Is. There is hardly analysis anything available about the first five years of the format. This is not really surprising as no player has played even 35 T20Is in this period. A player might have played more IPL matches than T20Is. Nevertheless, it was an interesting task at hand and I've based my findings mostly on statistics. Here is the final XI:

T20I XI

1) Chris Gayle - An absolute GOAT of the game, is this choice really a surprise?

2) Brendon McCullum - An extremely gifted batsman who can take the game away from the opposition, he slots into the top order.

3) Kevin Pietersen - A swashbuckling batsman with a dazzling array of shots, he walks into the side unopposed.

4) Misbah-ul-Haq - A mainstay in any batting line up, who amassed runs like no other, he's brilliant in the middle order.

5) Yuvraj Singh - An excellent all rounder with flamboyant batting and skillful bowling, he was a game changer, for sure.

6) M S Dhoni (C) (WK) - Always a fantastic finisher with lightning quick hands behind the stumps, he walks in as captain for his genius tactics.

7) Shahid Afridi - One of the current leading wicket takers and an explosive batsman down the order, he is definitely making the team.

8) Umar Gul - Arguably one of the best bowlers of the late 2000s, he definitely poses a threat to any batting line-up.

9) Dale Steyn - This amazing speedster was a lethal force, not only in tests but also in T20Is. He makes it to the side without question.

10) Ajantha Mendis - An underrated mystery spinner, he had the skill set to bamboozle every opposition.

11) Abdur Razzak - This Bangladeshi fast bowler dazzled during the earliest phase of the shortest format. He definitely deserves a spot in this side.

Others: Sanath Jayasuriya, Greame Smith, Lasith Malinga