Waqar Younis (l) and Wasim Akram (r) are the two Pakistanis in Maxwell's eleven. — Photos by Reuters
Waqar Younis (l) and Wasim Akram (r) are the two Pakistanis in Maxwell's eleven. — Photos by Reuters

Former Pakistan pace bowling legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis feature in Australian star Glenn Maxwell's 'greatest ODI team ever', a lineup which includes five of his compatriots as well.

In his blog for Cricket Australia ahead of the upcoming World Cup, the swashbuckling Maxwell also named Indian great Sachin Tendulkar and West Indies' Viv Richards in the eleven 'he'd 'like to see the most in coloured clothing.'

"At the top I thought I'd start off with an explosive opening batsman and wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist. To partner him, the absolute God of India, Sachin Tendulkar."

"Number three and skipper of the team, used to love watching him, Ricky Ponting," Maxwell said.

The 26-year-old's lineup also included Brian Lara, Dean Jones, Viv Richards and all-rounder Jacques Kallis.

His bowling attack was quite formidable as well.

"The four bowlers' spots were tightly contested. I thought I'd start off with the King of Swing, Wasim Akram; left-arm, inswing, outswing, Akram was great with the reverse swinging ball as well. Then comes the King of Spin, very controversial at times, Shane Warne. The two more very important spots will be filled by the King of Reverse Swing and also quite quick in his day, Waqar Younis, and the Australian legend Glenn McGrath."

Maxwell left the door open for the possible inclusion of AB de Villiers, whom he thought could fit into any team.

The World Cup, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, gets underway from February 14 with Sri Lanka taking on New Zealand and Maxwell's Australia taking on traditional rivals England.

Opinion

Editorial

Removing subsidies
Updated 09 May, 2026

Removing subsidies

The government no longer has the budgetary space to continue carrying hundreds of billions of rupees in untargeted subsidies while the power sector itself remains trapped in circular debt, inefficiencies, theft and under-recovery.
Scarred at home
09 May, 2026

Scarred at home

WHEN homes turn violent towards children, the psychosocial damage is lifelong. In Pakistan, parental violence is...
Zionist zealotry
09 May, 2026

Zionist zealotry

BOTH the Israeli military and far-right citizens of the Zionist state have been involved in appalling hate crimes...
Shifting climate tone
Updated 08 May, 2026

Shifting climate tone

Our financial system is geared towards short-term, risk-averse lending, while climate adaptation and green infrastructure require patient, long-term capital.
Honour and impunity
08 May, 2026

Honour and impunity

THE Sindh Assembly’s discussion on karo-kari this week reminds us of the enduring nature of ‘honour’ killings...
No real change
08 May, 2026

No real change

THE Indian sports ministry’s move to allow Pakistani players and teams to participate in multilateral events ...