On International Left-Handers Day, which falls on August 13, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer honoured the occasion by creating his all-time best left-handed XIs for both Test and ODI formats. Jaffer has selected some of the game’s greatest legends for his left-handed XIs.
In the Test starting XI, former Indian batsman named, Australian opener Matthew Hayden and Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara. Sangakkara, with his impressive total of 12,400 runs, is sixth in the all-time Test scoring table while Hayden has 8,625 runs to his name.
Wasim Jaffer celebrates International Left-Handers Day with an all-time star-studded Test and ODI XI
At number 3, the cricket pundit picked West Indies legend Brian Lara in his all-time starting XI for left-handers in Tests. Lara is known for his record-breaking innings of 501* in first-class cricket and 400* in Tests. The West Indies great is the eighth-highest run-scorer in Tests with 11,953.
Graeme Pollock, the South African batting legend with a career average of 60.97 in his 23 Tests, was ranked No. 4 in Jaffer’s left-handed Test XI.
The commentator named Australian legend Allan Border as his captain and assigned him the number five spot. Border has 11,174 runs to his name, making him the 11th highest run-scorer of all time in Test runs.
Jaffer chose Sir Garfield Sobers, known for his all-round skills, as the number 6 batsman. The West Indies legend, one of only three cricketers to hit 6000 runs and 200 wickets, finished his Test career with 8032 runs and 235 wickets.
Jaffer picked legendary Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist as wicketkeeper-batsman in his exclusive Test XI.
Jaffer’s bowling attack featured Pakistan’s Wasim Akram and India’s Zaheer Khan as the main bowlers, complemented by Australia’s Mitchell Johnson, Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas and New Zealand’s Trent Boult. India’s left-arm Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav is the only spin bowler in his playing XI.
Wasim Jaffer’s left-handed Test XI:
Matthew Hayden, Kumar Sangakkara, Brian Lara, Graeme Pollock, Allan Border (c), Gary Sobers, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Wasim Akram, Zaheer Khan, Mitchell Johnson/Chaminda Vaas/Trent Boult, Kuldeep Yadav.
In the ODI format, Jaffer’s line-up is not much different from the Test selections, with Hayden, Sangakkara and Lara occupying the top order.
The middle order was reinforced by Sri Lankan great Sanath Jayasuriya, legendary Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and Australian Michael Bevan.
The former Indian opener also named 1999 ODI World Cup Player of the Tournament Lance Klusener as his most versatile player in his all-time left-handed XI for ODIs.
Jaffer’s bowling attack in ODIs consisted of Akram, Zaheer and Kuldeep, the same attack he chose in Tests. The final bowling spot was a contest between Sri Lanka’s Chaminda and Australia’s Mitchell Starc.
Wasim Jaffer’s left-handed starting XI:
Matthew Hayden, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Brian Lara (c), Yuvraj Singh, Michael Bevan, Lance Klusener, Wasim Akram, Chaminda Vaas/Mitchell Starc, Zaheer Khan, Kuldeep Yadav.
A day late, but here’s my left-handed XI for Tests and ODIs. Which one is yours? #LeftHandersDay pic.twitter.com/4BjGkNJ5Jh
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) August 14, 2024
