World XI names three spinners

MELBOURNE – The World XI will complement a strong batting line-up with three front-line spin bowlers in their 12-man squad for the first of three one-day matches against Australia today.

With the selectors expecting the pitch under the roof at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium to play low and slow, they have included spin bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka, New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori and Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi. West Indies opener Chris Gayle and South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini were the two players left out of the final squad.Indian batsman Virender Sehwag is likely to open with Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara in an attacking and powerful batting line-up, which includes nine players with test centuries.India’s Rahul Dravid, West Indies’ Brian Lara, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and England’s Kevin Pietersen will make up the middle order, with all-rounder Andrew Flintoff likely to bat at number seven.In the field, captain Shaun Pollock and Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar are expected to share the new ball with Flintoff and Kallis the other seamers.Each side will be allowed to use one tactical substitution during the match.Team: Shaun Pollock (captain), Virender Sehwag, Kumar Sangakkara, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Daniel Vettori, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi.- Nampa-ReutersWest Indies opener Chris Gayle and South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini were the two players left out of the final squad.Indian batsman Virender Sehwag is likely to open with Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara in an attacking and powerful batting line-up, which includes nine players with test centuries.India’s Rahul Dravid, West Indies’ Brian Lara, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and England’s Kevin Pietersen will make up the middle order, with all-rounder Andrew Flintoff likely to bat at number seven.In the field, captain Shaun Pollock and Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar are expected to share the new ball with Flintoff and Kallis the other seamers.Each side will be allowed to use one tactical substitution during the match.Team: Shaun Pollock (captain), Virender Sehwag, Kumar Sangakkara, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Daniel Vettori, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi.- Nampa-Reuters