Michael Vaughan picks his ICC Champions Trophy 2017 dream team
What's the story?
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan named Virat Kohli as the sole Indian player in his ICC Champions Trophy 2017 dream team. Four South African players also make the cut, including the No.1 ranked ODI batsman AB de Villiers, No.1 ranked ODI bowler Kagiso Rabada but there was no room for the No.1 ODI all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Aside from the four players from the Proteas, England have three representatives including Joe Root, Australia have two but not their skipper Steve Smith while India and New Zealand have a solitary player each.
In his column for The Telegraph, Vaughan included Kohli despite his concerns. “I know his record in England is not great, but he is a better player than when he came here last time and like AB de Villiers he can play any kind of innings – explosive or a rebuild job. Copes brilliantly with pressure.”
Michael Vaughan’s Champions Trophy dream team: David Warner (Aus), Quinton de Kock (SA), Joe Root (Eng), Virat Kohli (Ind), AB de Villiers (SA), Ben Stokes (Eng), Jos Buttler (Eng), Mitchell Starc (Aus), Kagiso Rabada (SA), Trent Boult (NZ), Imran Tahir (SA).
Extra Cover: ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Schedule: Full time table with venue ground details, PDF download
The Details
Unsurprisingly, David Warner and Quinton de Kock are the two openers after their impressive performances since the start of 2016 where the pair are the two leading run-getters with over 3,000 runs between them.
Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler are the three England players in the side. Mitchell Starc is the other Australian in the team and leads the bowling attack which consists of New Zealand’s Trent Boult, South African duo of Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir, as the sole spinner in the side.
The Context
The top eight ranked ODI sides in the world are currently competing for the eighth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy that is taking place in England and Wales.
What's next?
The Champions Trophy kicked off with the hosts England taking on Bangladesh. The tournament that features the best players in the world concludes on June 18 with Australia and India hoping to become the first side to claim three Champions Trophy titles.
Author's Take
With South Africa dominating the batting and bowling player rankings in ODIs, it is no surprise to see that they are the most represented team with four players. Despite being in incredible form, Steve Smith misses out, but with Joe Root and Virat Kohli in the side, there isn’t a lot to fault with. With the top-ranked bowlers and batsmen in the side, the only real question mark is the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, who is the No.1 ranked ODI all-rounder going into the Champions Trophy.