Shakib Al Hasan picks his all-time ODI XI, MS Dhoni to lead

Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has named as many as three Indians in his all-time ODI XI. Moreover, he also included himself in the elite side. Starting from the openers, the southpaw gave the crucial position to India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar. Hailed as the ‘God of Cricket,’ Tendulkar shattered records throughout his career and is still the highest run-scorer in ODIs.

On the other hand, Anwar was known for his aggressive batting style and many prominent bowlers have become victims of his prowess. The openers were followed by West Indies’ Chris Gayle and current Indian skipper Virat Kohli. Although Gayle has been an opener for the majority of his career, his match-winning capabilities earn him the number three spot in Hasan’s line-up.

MS Dhoni named captain in Shakib Al Hasan’s all-time ODI XI

As far as Kohli is concerned, the 32-year-old has been nothing but a run-machine for India and his records are also spectacular. While former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis was slotted at number five, MS Dhoni is the wicket-keeper as well as the captain of Shakib’s team. During his playing days, Kallis was a force to reckon with in all departments.

On the other hand, Dhoni is one of the most successful captains ever. His big-hitting and wicket-keeping skills are also not second to many. As mentioned above, Shakib, who named the prominent XI while featuring in Sportskeeda’s YouTube channel, put himself at number seven in this line-up. Well, not many can raise their eyebrows as the star all-rounder has been and continues to be a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s line-up.

In fact, the southpaw belongs to the rare breed of cricketers who can feature in a playing XI both as a pure batter or bowler. In Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and Australia’s Shane Warne are the other two spinners in Shakib’s line-up. Both spinners tormented many prominent batters throughout their illustrious career.

Pacers occupy the remaining two slots. They are Pakistan’s Wasim Akram and Australia’s Glenn McGrath. While Akram was known to set the speed gun on fire, McGrath used swing and accuracy to get the better of batsmen.

Shakib Al Hasan’s all-time ODI XI: Sachin Tendulkar, Saeed Anwar, Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Jacques Kallis, MS Dhoni (captain & wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath