Australian World Cup hero Travis Head has been snubbed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in its Team of the Tournament selection despite his brilliance at the pointy end of his side’s triumphant campaign.
The destructive opener was beaten to selection by South Africa’s Quinton de Kock and India’s Rohit Sharma, with India’s Virat Kohli, Kiwi Daryl Mitchell, India’s KL Rahul, Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and India’s Ravindra Jadeja rounding out the top seven.
India’s Jasprit Bumrah, Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka, Australia’s Adam Zampa and India’s Mohammed Shami make up the remainder of the XI, while the Proteas’ Gerald Coetzee was picked as 12th man.
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The Team of the Tournament consists of six Indians, two Australians, one South African, one New Zealander and one Sri Lankan.
Head was overlooked despite plundering 137 runs from 120 balls to lead Australia to a six-wicket win over India in the final, which followed a sublime outfield catch to remove Sharma early in India’s innings.
Head became just the seventh man to score a century in a 50-over World Cup final, joining Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Aravinda de Silva, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Mahela Jayawardene.
The left-hander was awarded man of the match for his heroics in the decider in Ahmedabad and had also won the honour in Australia’s semi-final victory over South Africa at Eden Gardens, having peeled off a run-a-ball 62, snared two wickets and taken a catch.
Head’s Team of the Tournament chances were hampered by his broken left hand, which meant he didn’t feature until Australia’s match against the Kiwis in Dharamshala.
He finished the tournament with 329 runs at an average of 54.83 and a strike-rate of 127.51, including two tons and a half-century.
De Kock (594 runs, 59.40 average, 107.02 strike-rate) and Sharma (597 runs, 54.27 average, 125.95 strike-rate) both eclipsed Head statistically.
Maxwell amassed 400 runs at an average of 66.66 and a strike-rate of 150.37, including two centuries. His freakish 201 not out against Afghanistan in Wankhede almost single-handedly rescued Australia from the jaws of defeat and led to many labelling it the greatest one-day international innings of all time.
Zampa bagged 23 wickets at an average of 22.39 and an economy rate of 5.36, with the leggie taking 4-8 against the Dutch.
ICC’s Cricket World Cup Team of the Tournament
Quinton de Kock (South Africa) (wk), Rohit Sharma (India) (c), Virat Kohli (India), Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand), KL Rahul (India), Glenn Maxwell (Australia), Ravindra Jadeja (India), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Dilshan Madushanka (Sri Lanka), Adam Zampa (Australia), Mohammed Shami (India), 12th man Gerald Coetzee (South Africa)