West Indies men dominate ESPN T20 team of the decade

Given the two T20 World Cups under the belt of the West Indies, it may be no surprise that the Caribbean side has dominated ESPN’s best XI in the format over the last decade.

ESPN had come up with a list of its best XI in Test, One-Day and T20 Internationals and while there were no West Indians in the two longer formats of the game, they may have made up for it in the shortest.
At the top of the order comes Chris Gayle, T20’s all-time leading run-scorer. Interestingly, the opening spots have been covered by the West Indies with Sunil Narine earning a pick for his innovative pinch-hitting at the top of the order.
India’s Virat Kohli comes at number three in the batting line-up, with South Africa’s AB de Villiers locking down number four.
At five, ESPN has gone with another Indian in veteran Mahendra Singh Doni before turning again to the Caribbean where West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell can decide who bats six and seven.
At number eight, the best in the world this decade, according to the writers at ESPN, comes Dwayne Bravo before the leg-spin option of Rashid Khan. Narine, is, of course, the other spinner in the side.
Sri Lankan great, Lasith Malinga makes the best team of the decade next, while Jasprith Bumrah finds his way into the side as the second seamer. The two are seen as the best death bowlers in the world because of their ability to bowl Yorkers.

Taylor, Dottin, Mohammed make ESPN team of the decade
Despite having a torrid time of international cricket over the last year and a half, three women from the West Indies side have still been picked as part of this decade’s best XI, according to ESPN.
Stafanie Taylor, who scored the most One-Day International runs and is one of the three highest run-scorers in the World in T20 Internationals over the course of the decade, was a shoo-in, while all-rounding legend from the region, Deandra Dottin, also had no equal.
As a bowler, Anisa Mohammed has been the standout spinner this decade and so has also taken her place in the XI.
Taylor, according to ESPN, is joined at the top of the order by New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, while at number three, Australia’s Meg Lanning was a sure pick. At four in the batting line-up comes Indian great, Mithali Raj, who averaged 55.31 in ODIs this decade and 37.18 in T20Is.
England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor is set to walk at five in the team of the decade, while Australia’s Ellyse Perry and Dottin prop up the rest of the middle order.
The specialist bowlers in the side are made up of Shagnim Ismail, England veteran Anya Shrubsole, Mohammed and South Africa’s Dane van Niekerk.
This decade, Taylor scored 3993 runs at an average of 45.89, which included four centuries and 32 half-centuries. In T20Is, the 28-year-old West Indies captain managed 2639 runs at an average of 35.66 including 14 half-centuries.
Dottin’s all-round cricket has been impressive. She scored 2349 runs in ODIs this decade while taking 64 wickets. In T20Is the all-rounder was just as impressive, scoring 2175 runs while taking 58 wickets.
Mohammed has been the standout bowler this decade, taking an incredible 142 wickets in ODIs over the period. In 2011, for instance, the offspinner managed to remove 37 scalps from just 13 games. She has taken five or more wickets on three occasions since 2010. In T20Is, where batters reign supreme, Mohammed was also brilliant, bagging 102 wickets with best figures of 5/12. She took five or more wickets twice in the period and had four for nine in 2010 and 2011.