New Zealanders dominate World Cup team of the tournament

(Reuters) – Five players from World Cup runners-up New Zealand and three from winners Australia were named in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) team of the tournament yesterday.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was joined by fellow Kiwis Martin Guptill, Corey Anderson, Daniel Vettori and Trent Boult following their team’s brilliant run to the final.

Australia, who crushed their neighbours by seven wickets in the showpiece match in Melbourne on Sunday, were represented by batsman Steven Smith, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and pace bowler Mitchell Starc, who was named player of the tournament.

South Africans AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel and Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara completed the side with Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor named as 12th man.

“The panel had an extremely difficult choice of selecting a 12-member squad at the back of an outstanding tournament, highlighted by some eye-catching individual performances including two double-centuries, 38 centuries, two hat-tricks and 28 four-wicket hauls,” ICC general manager Geoff Allardice said.