Based on the players' performances in the 2014 World T20, the team of the tournament was announced by the ICC on Monday.
A special jury - consisting of ICC umpire Marais Erasmus, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, ex-England captain Nasser Hussain, former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop and Bangladesh's senior cricket correspondent Utpal Shuvro - decided on the team and was chaired by David Boon, ICC match referee.
The Bangladesh conditions and the recent form of players were taken into consideration before selection. Four players from India made the cut as two each from South Africa and West Indies also made it to the team, while Australia, Netherlands and Sri Lanka have one representative each. It was surprising to see that despite winning the tournament, there was only one player picked from Sri Lanka, in the form of the unavoidable Lasith Malinga.
"It was a very difficult task for the panel to pick a team of 11 from the exciting players who featured in this tournament," Boon said in the ICC media release. "As the selection criteria for the team of the tournament are the performances of players in the conditions during the ICC World Twenty20 2014, some of the best players in world cricket had to be left out of the team.
"Bowlers in particular performed strongly throughout this tournament, and the side we have selected includes three of the most impressive bowlers in Dale Steyn, Samuel Badree and Lasith Malinga. The team also contains six specialist batsmen, including Stephan Myburgh from the Netherlands as an opening batsman, as well as three all-rounders, including MS Dhoni as a wicket-keeper batsman."
The media release also stated that India's Amit Mishra, Pakistan's Ahmed Shehzad, South Africa's AB de Villiers and Imran Tahir, Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews and Rangana Herath, and West Indies' Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine were close contenders for many positions in the team but could not make the final cut.
Team of the Tournament:
Rohit Sharma (India) - 200 runs
Stephan Myburgh (Netherlands) - 224 runs
Virat Kohli (India) - 319 runs
JP Duminy (South Africa) - 187 runs
Glenn Maxwell (Australia) - 147 runs
MS Dhoni (India - captain, wicketkeeper) - 50 runs, six dismissals
Darren Sammy (West Indies) - 101 runs
Ravichandran Ashwin (India) - 11 wickets
Dale Steyn (South Africa) - 9 wickets
Samuel Badree (West Indies) - 11 wickets
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) - 5 wickets
12th man: Krishmar Santokie (West Indies) - 8 wickets
(Edited by Vishnuprasad S Pillai)
