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Cold Waughs Wisden CricInfo staff - December 15, 2002
Times, they are a'changing. For the first time in six years Steve Waugh is not selected as captain of WCM's World XI and Mark's place, which hung by a thread last year, has been taken too. Steve Waugh only just missed out as he polled the 13th most votes, just behind Brian Lara who didn't make the team at all in 2001 and has to carry the drinks this time around. Almost everyone who voted for Steve Waugh wanted him to lead the side meaning that he polled more votes than Shaun Pollock in the captaincy stakes. But, using the Australian rule of thumb that you select your captain from your best XI, Pollock is named as captain with Waugh perhaps making the inter-galactic tour party. In 2001 there were no Englishmen in the side but their discovery of a solid opening partnership means Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick win places along with Matthew Hayden, rated as the world's No. 1 batsman. In order to have a left-right combination, Trescothick has to bat at No. 3. Rahul Dravid's wonderful summer in England gets him in the side to form a sumptuous Indian axis in the middle order with the inevitable Sachin Tendulkar, whose stock in the poll rose on last year. As for the wicketkeeper and bowlers, it's business as usual. Glenn McGrath above is, again, the model of consistency. Only 5.8% of readers didn't fancy him leading their attack. Finally, no Readers' World XI would be complete without a Bradman-watch. In 2001 – the year of his death – he was the fifth choice for captain of the World XI. This year he polled seven votes – fittingly the same number as Darren Lehmann, whose schoolboy brilliance once had him tagged as The Don's successor.
2002 Readers' World XI
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