Cricket World Cup: Black Caps captain selected to lead Kiwi-laden World Cup line-up

Brendon McCullum scored 328 runs in nine matches with four half-centuries at a strike-rate of 188.50. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Brendon McCullum has been named captain of the ICC World Cup 2015 side that includes five New Zealanders.

McCullum also scored 328 runs in nine matches with four half-centuries at a strike-rate of 188.50.

The team was chosen by a group of experts who were given the task of picking a balanced side on the basis of performances in the tournament. Statistics were used but were not the sole basis for selections.

The other New Zealanders chosen are Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Martin Guptill and Daniel Vettori. Three Australians, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith and Mitchell Starc, are in the team, two South Africans, AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel, and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara is wicketkeeper-batsman.

Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor, who finished with 433 runs in six matches, was named as the 12th man.

The chairman of the selection panel, ICC general manager cricket Geoff Allardice, said it was a difficult task.

"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," he said.

"There were a number of other players that were discussed as possible selections in the team.

"These included batsmen Mahmudullah (Bangladesh) and Shaiman Anwar (UAE), fast bowlers Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami (both India), Wahab Riaz (Pakistan) and spinners Imran Tahir (South Africa) and R. Ashwin (India).

"But there were so many brilliant individual performances during the tournament that it was not possible to fit them into the team."

World Cup XI

Brendon McCullum (NZ, captain)
Martin Guptill (New Zealand)

Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, wkp)

Steven Smith (Australia)

AB de Villiers (South Africa)

Glenn Maxwell (Australia)

Corey Anderson (New Zealand)
Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

Mitchell Starc (Australia)

Trent Boult (New Zealand)

Morne Morkel (South Africa)

Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe, 12th man)

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