Australia is one of the most dominating teams over the years in the limited overs cricket. Out of 11 world cups Australia won 5 world cups and 2 times champions trophy winners which can easily prove their authority in the ODI format.
There are many factors which are interlinked with their dominance in cricket. The sort of professionalisms Australian players bring into the cricket and the amount of the training they do at the domestic and local levels makes the difference at the international level. The other factor it would be the cricketing brain the Australian have been so good in strategy to win games.
Throughout the cricketing history of Australia there have been numerous players who have dominated world cricket like no other. Apart from their dominance Australians have been always first to bring any type of new innovations in cricket. Either Day and Night Cricket or coloured clothing major innovations in cricket are trace of Australia. Making the greatest ODI XI among the immense talents is perhaps unfair but they are few who are superior over others.
Having said, take a look at the all-time greatest ODI XI of Australia:
Adam Gilchrist:
An absolute entertainer in every sense. There are very few players who have come out as a trendsetter and made a mark for themselves. Adam Gilchrist was one of those players who has redefined many things in his cricketing career. Perhaps Australia will not have another gifted player like Gilchrist in the coming decades.
Adam Gilchrist was the first original Wicket-keeper batsman that world cricket has ever seen with his acrobatic wicket-keeping skills and Swashbuckling batting abilities. Gilchrist was the vital cog for Australia in limited overs cricket throughout his career and was the part of three world Cup campaigns.
As an opener it was very difficult to stop players like Gilchrist to score runs till the time he was on crease who had every shot in his arsenal to play against any bowler. A genuine match-winner who could turn the match with his whirlwind batting in just a few overs of a game. Adam Gilchrist featured 287 ODIs scored 9619 runs with the strike rate of 96.95 which include 16 hundreds and 55 fifties.
Mathew Hayden:
One of the most dangerous opening batsmen the world cricket has ever seen. If Gilchrist has the flamboyant skills to destroy the opposition bowling then Hayden has his presence along with his whirlwind batting skills to be the nightmare for any bowler in any condition. One of the most complete batsman although Hayden was the late bloomer but he was getting going Hayden was the another name of destruction in the limited overs cricket.
Hayden along with Gilchrist was one of the successful opening pairs in limited overs cricket and was the big reason for the dominance of Australian cricket after 2000. Hayden had the ability to destroy any bowler and took the game away from the opposition with his flamboyant batting.
Hayden was the part of two successful Australia world cup campaigns. Hayden played 161 ODIs and scored 6133 runs with a strike rate of 78.96 which include 10 hundreds and 36 fifties.
Ricky Ponting (Captain):
There is no doubt if there will be ever greatest all-time XI of Australia the captain will be Ricky Ponting across the formats. He was the big match player with his exceptional batting strengths who had built the team of world beaters.
With over 13000 runs in the ODIs at an average of 42.04 which include 30 hundreds and 82 fifties. Ponting was the best batsman at the no.3 after Don Bradman in the limited overs cricket who had been the aggressive player and liked to score runs against A-List teams in his career.
Ricky Ponting was the part of three world cup Campaigns in which two times he led Australia team to victory and also the captain of ICC Champions trophy winning Australia team. Apart from his batting skills Ponting was the brilliant fielder too which makes it an easy choice to make the captain of this team.
Steve Waugh:
Nickname Iceman. 325 ODI 7569 runs you can't ignore a player like Steve Waugh to be not in the team after his smart cricketing brain. If Ponting was the reason for the invincible Australian team then Steve Waugh was the trendsetter before the Ricky Ponting Era.
Steve Waugh was way ahead of his time and also started the routine of winning games in the Australian cricket like no other. A fine batsman who can bat and as well as bowl to make an obvious choice for No.4 batsman in this team. Steve Waugh in 325 ODI took 195 wickets. His ability to score runs against quality pace attack and teams easily defined his batting attributes.
Michael Hussey:
Nickname Mr Cricket for the amount of consistency this left-handed batsman had shown since his way to the Australia cricket team. Hussey had been the most dependable middle-order batsman from 2004-2012 and led his team victorious with his whirlwind batting knocks.
Hussey featured in 185 ODIs scored 5442 runs at a mind-boggling average of 48.50 and also the part of world Cup winning campaign 2007. Although he had been the late bloomer and his career was that long as other players like Darren Lehmann and Martyn other he could have ended near 10000 runs in the limited overs cricket.
Apart from the batting Hussey was a great fielder which makes the obvious to include him this playing eleven.
Micheal Bevan:
One of the greatest finishers the world cricket has ever seen and the first original finisher who had started the term called finisher in cricket. Bevan's ability to take the game deep and finish it off in his style was always the best thing in cricket.
Not few, there are many knocks in which the Australia team came out as victorious because of the match-winning exhibition of Bevan in run-chase. Bevan was the part of three world cup campaigns of Australia and scored 6912 runs in 232 ODI games at an staggering average of 53.69 and also the slow left-arm chinaman bowler which makes him quite a handy cricketer in Australia team.
Brett Lee:
An easy pick to include him and one of the most complete fast bowlers in the Australian cricket history. If the Australia team has been successful after the Steve Waugh era here is the man behind it Brett Lee. His ability to clock the speed of 150 kmph at the regular basis makes him the most fearsome bowler of his era.
Lee was part of the part two world cup winning campaigns of the Australia team. Lee took 380 wickets in 221 ODIs at an average of 23.36 and quite a handy lower batsman which added another aspect to his career. On his day Lee can single handedly destroy any opposition team with raw pace bowling.
Mitchell Johnson:
One of the most destructive left-arm fast bowlers in the Australia team. If Lee intimidated the batsman with right-arm fast bowling then Johnson did it from the left-arm fast bowling. Mitchell Johnson was the front-line bowler in the Australia team in the last two decades.
Johnson had the ability of picking up wickets with his lethal Yorkers and Inswingers send fears into the batsman mind at his Johnson clocked the bowling speed over 150 kmph. Johnson was handy lower batsman too which added advantage to include him into this team. Johnson took 239 wickets in 153 ODIs at an average of 25.26 which easily defines the bowling strengths by far in many ways.
Mitchell Starc:
Probably the best left-arm fast bowler of the last one decade in the Australian cricket history makes it to this team with his race pace and toe crushing Yorkers abilities. Over the years he has been the front-line in the Australian team and also the part of the world cup winning team of 2015.
Starc took 183 wickets in 94 ODIs at an average of 22.49 which defines his bowling abilities apart from the bowling he has been quite an effective lower batsman too which added advantage to include him into this team.
Shane Warne:
193 ODIs 293 Wickets 25.74 average maybe his numbers are not near his test cricket records but you can't ignore the fact that he was the big match player who could take the game away from opposition with variations. But what makes it to include him into this team was his control over line and lengths even in the limited overs cricket.
His exhibition in the world cup 1999 semi-final and finals could easily define his abilities. Warne was the effective spinner in the Australian team over the course of his Career. Apart from bowling he had been the batsman too and contributed runs too in victories.
Glenn McGrath:
250 ODIs 381 Wickets 22.02 average if fast bowlers intimated the batsman with fear then here is a bowler who has put fear into the batsman mind with his perfect accuracy of line and lengths. McGrath was the part of 3 Successful world cup winning campaigns team.
McGrath's ability to bowl tight lines and lengths makes the even best batsman very difficult to score against him. An effective fielder and batsman too but always known for his top-notch bowling spells over the course of his Career.
