Cricket World Cup 2015: Best XI of the Quarter-Finals
Despite some big scores, a somewhat bowler-heavy XI has emerged from the quarter-finals. Despite the pool stages being dominated by batsmen, the bowlers got their own back during the crunch games.
The matches were quite one-sided, so it’s no surprise that the bulk of the players emerge from the winning teams. Add your thoughts in the comments.
Martin Guptill
1 of 11
You cannot ignore a man who scores an unbeaten double century. Were it not for Martin Guptill’s unbeaten 237, New Zealand’s semi-final score might have looked far less appealing.
The West Indies had no answers and Guptill took complete advantage.
Rohit Sharma
2 of 11
Rohit Sharma seems to be peaking at just the right time. He hit 137 off 126 against Bangladesh to set the foundation for a solid total for India.
His acceleration was perfectly timed and although he got a little bit lucky when he got away with getting out off a no ball (which many argue wasn’t a no ball), sometimes you have to ride your luck a little.
Quinton De Kock (w/k)
3 of 11
Quinton de Kock had a horror tournament up until the quarter-finals. His unbeaten 78 off 57 balls steered South Africa to a comfortable win and he was very useful behind the stumps, too.
Up until South Africa’s quarter-final with Sri Lanka, De Kock looked stuck in the crease, but it was as if a weight came off his shoulders on Wednesday.
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Suresh Raina
4 of 11
Suresh Raina played a vital knock for India against Bangladesh. Although he slots in higher up the XI for this exercise, his 65 off 57 against Bangladesh supported Rohit Sharma's effort and helped India post a defendable total.
Steve Smith (capt)
5 of 11
Steve Smith takes over captaincy duties for this XI. As a player being tipped to be the future leader of the Australian team, Smith has undergone an evolution in recent months.
In the match against Pakistan, it looked like he was batting on a different surface. A steady 65 off 69 helped secure an easy victory for Australia in a match where batsmen from each team struggled to get going properly.
Glenn Maxwell
6 of 11
Glenn Maxwell's all-round effort of scoring 44 off 29 and bowling figures of 7-0-43-2 earns him a place in the team.
All-rounders are becoming a rare commodity in modern cricket and while Maxwell can sometimes blow hot and cold, he deserves the nod for his efforts in the quarter-final.
Josh Hazlewood
7 of 11
We’re into the tail already, because there were just so many stunning bowling performances during the first round of knockout games.
Josh Hazlewood finished with figures of 10-1-35-4, an effort which earned him man-of-the-match honours. Therefore, he earns himself a place in this XI, even if it might make the balance of the team a little bit lopsided.
Dale Steyn
8 of 11
Dale Steyn just sneaks into the team, mainly for his aggression but also because he was incredibly economical.
His figures of 7-2-18-1 earned him an economy rate of 2.57, the lowest for any bowler in the quarter-finals.
Steyn has taken a while to get going, but when he is pumped up like he was against Sri Lanka, there's no one else you'd rather have leading your attack.
Trent Boult
9 of 11
Trent Boult has been one of New Zealand’s best bowlers in the World Cup and showed why he should be feared in their quarter-final clash against the West Indies.
He knows how to exploit swing and seam, and he finished with figures of 10-3-44-4.
Wahab Riaz
10 of 11
Wahab Riaz is the only player from a losing team to make the XI. His figures of 9-0-54-2 aren't exactly record breaking, but he did produce one of the best spells of bowling the tournament has seen.
Riaz was aggressive and talkative and got right up in Shane Watson’s face during Pakistan’s quarter-final encounter with the Aussies. He was subsequently fined for his behaviour, but it was a spell of bowling not many will forget any time soon. Almost every ball was perfect and the theatre added to the experience for enticing viewing.
Imran Tahir
11 of 11
Imran Tahir's four for 26 against Sri Lanka was wily and probing. He has proven on a number of occasions that he is one of South Africa’s most important players in limited-overs matches. There was just enough assistance for the spinner on the Sydney surface and he took full advantage.
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