Brad Hogg picks his best XI from WTC 2019-21 cycle, Kane Williamson named captain

The International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced the World Test Championship to give new relevance to the game’s purest format and the decision indeed proved to be spot on. Fans witnessed some fascinating contest between the bat and the red cherry with stakes in Test matches getting even higher. The prestigious title was eventually lifted by New Zealand as they defeated India by eight wickets in the final and became the first world champions of Test cricket.

With the inaugural WTC cycle coming to a conclusion, many fans and experts have picked the team of the tournament. On June 30 (Wednesday), former Australian spinner Brad Hogg also joined the bandwagon and named a combined playing XI of the championship. India’s Rohit Sharma and Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne walked into Hogg’s side as openers.

Notably, Hogg’s countryman David Warner scored a triple century in the WTC cycle but Karunaratne’s heroics away from home earned him a spot in this team. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson and Australia’s Steve Smith were next in the line-up. The former also leads this elite team. This also means Marnus Labuschagne, WTC’s highest run-getter, doesn’t make it to Hogg’s XI. Joe Root and Virat Kohli were some other notable absentees in the middle order.

Babar Azam picked in Brad Hogg’s WTC team

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is slotted at number five with England all-rounder Ben Stokes next in the order. The wicketkeeper-batsman of Hogg’s side was Rishabh Pant and not many can question his selection.

“The way that he (Pant) got runs in Australian soil, you could not leave him out. He also made a crucial 40 in the World Test Championship final,” added Hogg. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, the highest wicket-taker of the WTC cycle, was the third Indian and only spinner in this line-up.

The remaining three slots were occupied by pace trio Kyle Jamieson, Stuart Broad, and Mohammed Shami. Notably, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Pat Cummins, and Tim Southee were some other stand-out fast bowlers in the competition. However, they couldn’t make it to Hogg’s elite line-up.

Brad Hogg’s WTC Team of the Tournament: Rohit Sharma, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kane Williamson (C), Steve Smith, Babar Azam, Ben Stokes, Rishabh Pant (WK), Kyle Jamieson, Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Broad, Mohammed Shami