CricTracker&#8217;s ODI Team of the Year 2014: Another year of international cricket has ended &#8211; a year full of action, drama, sixes, fours, wickets, brilliant catches, good umpiring and equally good captaincy. This year brought the best of many players as well as some players failed to perform up to their true potential. It has always been a tradition to compile the Best XI after a mega event or tournament so here we are with ODI Team of the Year based on players who were the best for their role, whose statistics proof that they deserved to be a part of this year’s Best XI:

<li>Hashim Amla (South Africa)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/12/Hashim-Amla1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-8360" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Hashim-Amla1.jpg" alt="Fastest to reach 4000 runs in ODIs" width="638" height="415" sizes="(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8360" class="wp-caption-text">Hashim Amla had to wait until July to play his 1st ODI in 2014 but the wait didn’t make him look dull or rusty any little. (Photo Source: AFP)</figcaption>

Matches: 18, Runs: 892, Highest: 122*, Average: 52.47, 100s: 5, 50s: 2, Strike-Rate: 80.57

Hashim Amla had to wait until July to play his 1st ODI in 2014 but the wait didn’t make him look dull or rusty any little. He scored back to back hundreds against the Sri Lankans who were in such great form and another 48 in the 3rd and final match. Another 122* in the very next match meant that he now had 3 hundreds in his first four ODIs of 2014. He continued to impress everyone in the tri-series involving Zimbabwe and Australia. 119 vs New Zealand and 102 vs Australia helped him to be the <a title="Top 5 batsman fastest to reach 4000 runs in ODIs" href="http://www.crictracker.com/fastest-to-reach-4000-runs-in-odis/" target="_blank">fastest batsman to reach 4500 ODI runs and 17 ODI centuries </a>beating Virat Kohli by a long distance.

<li>Tilakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/11/Tillakaratne-Dilshan.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-7222" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Tillakaratne-Dilshan.jpg" alt="srilanka cricket world cup 2015" width="630" height="448" sizes="(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-7222" class="wp-caption-text">Dilshan spent most of his 2014 in Asian Conditions with a lone tour to England in May-June. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

Matches: 25, Runs: 990, Highest: 101, Batting Average: 41.25, Wickets: 17, Best Bowling: 3/37, Bowling Average: 33.52

Dilshan spent most of his 2014 in Asian Conditions with a lone tour to England in May-June. After having a not-so-good 2013 both with the bat and the ball, Dilshan failed to deliver against Bangladesh with mere scores of 3 and 8. But responding to selector’s confidence, he came back strong against the English in their own backyard scoring two half-centuries and just a single score of under-25 in the 5-match series. He continued his good form into the South Africa series but failed to deliver well enough vs Pakistan. He re-gained his lost touch against the Indians and unleashed his wrath against England in Sri Lanka where his all-round performance helped England surrender 5-2. He was rewarded with a “Man of the Series Award” for this performance.

<li>Virat Kohli (India)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/12/Virat-Kohli2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-8443" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli2.jpg" alt="Ever since this man has made his international debut there isn’t a single batting record that this man hasn’t put his hands on. (Photo Source: BCCI)" width="574" height="379" sizes="(max-width: 574px) 100vw, 574px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8443" class="wp-caption-text">Ever since this man has made his international debut there isn’t a single batting record that this man hasn’t put his hands on. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

Matches: 21, Runs: 1054, Highest: 139*, Average: 58.55, 100s: 4, 50s: 5, Strike-Rate: 99.62

Ever since this man has made his international debut there isn’t a single batting record that this man hasn’t put his hands on. Scoring 1000+ ODI runs for the fourth successive time this year after missing out on 997 in 2010, Virat Kohli only managed to score in double-figures in 13 of the 21 matches he played but everytime he crossed 10, he converted it to a big 50 or a bigger 100. Virat started the year with a hundred against the Kiwis followed by a 78 and 82 in the series. Then impressed everyone with 136 in the Asia Cup where he was chosen to captain India. However he failed to make any impression in England where he was criticized for not giving his 100% percent but as soon as he reached back in India. The same Virat Kohli had his fortunes changed as if he never lost his form. Hundreds against the West Indies and Sri Lanka made him the<a title="Fastest to reach 5000 runs in ODI’s" href="http://www.crictracker.com/fastest-to-reach-5000-runs-in-odis/" target="_blank"> Fastest to reach 6000 ODI runs</a>!

<li>Kumar Sangakkara &#8211; WK (Sri Lanka)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/12/Kumar-Sangakkara.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-7831" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kumar-Sangakkara.jpg" alt="most runs in a calendar year" width="615" height="440" sizes="(max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-7831" class="wp-caption-text">Kumar Sangakkara had another great year in the ODIs as well as in Tests and the T20Is. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

Matches: 28, Runs: 1256, Highest: 128, Average: 46.51, 100s: 4, 50s: 8, Strike-Rate: 87.70

Kumar Sangakkara had another great year in the ODIs as well as in Tests and the T20Is. In 2014, he breached the 1000-run mark for the fourth time in consecutive years – a record only matched by Virat Kohli. He started the year with 8 and 128 against Bangladesh and then a hundred against India and a 76 vs Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. His good form continued on the fast-paced English wickets where his 112 earned him a place on the Honors’ Board at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Like his fellow countryman Dilshan, Sanga lost his touch in mid-year against Pakistan and then vs India in India but he came back strong vs England with 5 consecutive half-centuries which included two scores of 80+ and a century to finish as the <a title="Top Five Run Getters in ODI 2014" href="http://www.crictracker.com/top-five-run-getters-in-odi-2014/" target="_blank">Highest Run-Scorer in 2014</a>.

<li>Kane Williamson (New Zealand)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/12/Kane-Williamson.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-8444" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kane-Williamson.jpg" alt="Kane Williamson had a very good year with the bat where he scored 50+ in 8 of his 12 innings and missed out on 46 and 47 in two of the remaining four. (Photo Source: Getty Images)" width="614" height="533" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8444" class="wp-caption-text">Kane Williamson had a very good year with the bat where he scored 50+ in 8 of his 12 innings and missed out on 46 and 47 in two of the remaining four. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

Matches: 12, Runs: 770, Highest: 123, Average: 70.00, 100s: 1, 50s: 7, Strike-Rate: 87.10, Wickets: 6

Kane Williamson had a very good year with the bat where he scored 50+ in 8 of his 12 innings and missed out on 46 and 47 in two of the remaining four. He emerged as a new spin-bowling all-rounder for New Zealand as he was effective with both bat and ball but batting remained his first choice. His bowling suffered a setback when he was accused for CHUCKING by ICC but he later worked hard on his bowling action and got cleared in record time. He scored five consecutive 50s vs India in the ODI series at home in January – a record only matched by few. Dropped to rest, Williamson played his next ODI vs Pakistan in December as Captain of the New Zealand team where his two 50s and a 100 rounded off a successful year with 3-2 series win.

<li>AB de Villiers (C) (South Africa)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/08/Ab-De-Villiers.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-7175" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ab-De-Villiers.jpg" alt="Ab De Villiers" width="460" height="609" sizes="(max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-7175" class="wp-caption-text">For Mr. 360, like always, 2014 was a superb year as he became the only South African Captain to win an ODI series in Sri Lanka. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

Matches: 16, Runs: 879, Highest: 136*, Average: 73.25, 100s: 2, 50s: 6, Strike-Rate: 114.45

For Mr. 360, like always, 2014 was a superb year as he became the only South African Captain to win an ODI series in Sri Lanka. His 71-ball 108 in the 3rd ODI vs Sri Lanka help South Africa post a too-good total of 339/4 which Sri Lanka failed to chase. Then he won the Zimbabwe triangular series and the ODI series in New Zealand. His ability to shift gears very early in innings made him a hot pick as a middle-order batsman and Captain of our ODI team. There wasn’t a single innings where his strike rate went below 100. His form never went for a dip but he was found to throw it away after reaching the 70s and four scores of 75+ which he failed to convert in a hundred are a proof of this problem.

<li>Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/11/Angelo-Mathews.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-7219" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Angelo-Mathews.jpg" alt="srilanka cricket world cup 2015" width="629" height="467" sizes="(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-7219" class="wp-caption-text">Sri Lankan Captain Angelo Mathews had a very successful all-round year in which he scored 1244 runs and took 18 wickets. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

Matches: 32, Runs: 1244, Highest: 139*, Batting Average: 62.20, Wickets: 18, Best Bowling: 3/21, Bowling Average: 36.16

Sri Lankan Captain Angelo Mathews had a very successful all-round year in which he scored 1244 runs and took 18 wickets. As a captain, he first won the Bangladesh series, then the World T20, then the Asia Cup, then the ODI series vs England in England, series vs Pakistan and beat England again at home. It was against India in India and vs South Africa at home where he and his team looked tired and out-of-order generally because of excessive cricket. Having a career average of 34 before 2014, Mathews batted so well that his batting average shoots to 40.62 at the end of 2014. Scoring at the rate of 60 runs per innings, his score exceeded 85 four times in 2014 but he wasn’t able convert them in a 100 everytime. Finally, Mathews scored his career’s first ODI Century, a brilliant 139*, against India but his team suffered a 5-0 whitewash.

<li>Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/12/Shahid-Afridi1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-7475" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shahid-Afridi1.jpg" alt="most sixes in ODI" width="576" height="375"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-7475" class="wp-caption-text">Shahid Afridi snatched the victory from the jaws of Bangla tigers with a 25-ball 59 which included 7 sixes and 2 boundaries. (Photo Source: AFP)</figcaption>

Matches: 16, Runs: 354, Highest: 61, Batting Average: 27.23, Wickets: 16, Best Bowling: 3/37, Bowling Average: 41.56

In 2014, Shahid Afridi changed his label of a bowling all-rounder to a batting all-rounder when his miraculously huge sixes to Ravichandran Ashwin in the final balls of a chase helped Pakistan complete a magical win over India in the Asia Cup and then in the next match, he snatched the victory from the jaws of Bangla tigers with a 25-ball 59 which included 7 sixes and 2 boundaries. Such was the importance of this knock that nearly every girl in the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium went to tears after their team was deprived off a certain victory. But fortunes never remain the same, he remained wicket-less for 6 complete ODIs and didn’t performed well with the bat too until New Zealand series in December where he scored more than 195 runs in the series – only the 4th time in his career and took 8 wickets for cheap runs.

<li>Morne Morkel (South Africa)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/11/wpid-morne-morkel.jpg.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-6977" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/wpid-morne-morkel.jpg.jpeg" alt="Morne Morkel played 13 matches in 2014 and grabbed 24 wickets with a best of 5/21 vs Australia at Perth. (Photo Source: Getty Images)" width="597" height="443" sizes="(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-6977" class="wp-caption-text">Morne Morkel played 13 matches in 2014 and grabbed 24 wickets with a best of 5/21 vs Australia at Perth. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

Matches: 13, Wickets: 24, Best Bowling: 5/21, Strike Rate: 29.0, Bowling Average: 28.00

Not long ago, Dale Steyn was regarded as the spear-head of South Africa’s fast bowling in limited overs format as well in Tests but South Africa has kept Steyn as a player for bigger occasions and tests for a year or two now. This means that bowlers like Morne Morkel could step up when given the chance and responsibility and in Morne’s case, he did step up. He played 13 matches in 2014 and grabbed 24 wickets with a best of 5/21 vs Australia at Perth. There wasn’t a single match in 2014 in which he bowled and didn’t pick atleast one wicket. This makes him our first choice bowler in our ODI Team of the year.

<li>Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/10/Ajantha-Mendis-e1414147364693.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-6506" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ajantha-Mendis-e1414147364693.jpg" alt="Latest Photo of Ajantha Mendis" width="587" height="368" sizes="(max-width: 587px) 100vw, 587px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-6506" class="wp-caption-text">In 2014, Ajantha Mendis made his comeback in limited overs cricket and focused more to do the basics right other than cashing his reputation as a mystery spinner. (Photo Source : AFP).</figcaption>

Matches: 17, Wickets: 38, Best Bowling: 4/60, Strike Rate: 22.5, Bowling Average: 21.63

There was a time when <a title="Top 10 bowlers with fastest 50 ODI wickets" href="http://www.crictracker.com/top-10-bowlers-with-fastest-50-odi-wickets/" target="_blank">Ajantha Mendis was termed as the next big thing in world cricket</a>. His mystery wrist spin got him a huge amount of wickets in his early part of career but as soon as he was picked he never remained a threat to the opposition. In 2014, Ajantha Mendis made his comeback in limited overs cricket and focused more to do the basics right other than cashing his reputation as a mystery spinner. Such was his form this year that only thrice in the whole year; he failed to pick less than 2 wickets in the match. Otherwise, he always picked two or more than two per game. His best came when he picked 4 Indian wickets after leaking 60 runs in that Asia Cup encounter in March.

<li>Mohammad Shami (India)</li>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/12/Mohammed-Shami.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-8612" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mohammed-Shami.jpg" alt="Mohd Shami bowling" width="600" height="397" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8612" class="wp-caption-text">Mohammad Shami emerged as a breeze of fresh air out of nowhere. (Photo Source)</figcaption>

Matches: 16, Wickets: 38, Best Bowling: 4/36, Strike Rate: 22.4, Bowling Average: 22.94

India hasn’t produced a pace leader ever since Zaheer Khan was dropped and Ishant Sharma lost his touch but Mohammad Shami emerged as a breeze of fresh air out of nowhere. Fast and swing bowling is a term not generally used for Indian pacers but Mohammad Shami did his best to wash off this tag from India’s face with his 38 wickets in 2014 – most by any bowler. Four times in 16 games, he picked a 4-fer and 3 times picked up three-wickets, most times on road-like sub-continental pitches. Despite his wicket taking ability there was only one thing that bothered was him leaking runs in the death overs. This trend continued throughout the year that he will bowl good tight lengths in the first half of the innings and then throw it away at the back end. But, he surely deserves a place in ODI Team of the Year.

Honoury Mention 12th Man: Matt Henry (New Zealand)

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2014/12/Matt-Henry.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-8613" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Matt-Henry.jpg" alt="NZ Matt Henry" width="602" height="462"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8613" class="wp-caption-text">Matt Henry made his debut vs India in January this year and picked up four wickets for mere 38 runs in his 10 overs. (Photo Source: AFP)</figcaption>

Matches: 6, Wickets: 19, Best Bowling: 5/30, Strike Rate: 17.6, Bowling Average: 15.26

Matt Henry made his debut vs India in January this year and picked up four wickets for mere 38 runs in his 10 overs. A bowler that consistently bowls at 140 kph or more, Henry had to wait until October for his next ODI where he picked another 2 wickets. It was against Pakistan that the world focused its eyes on him. On UAE pitches that were batting friendly most times, Henry picked 13 wickets in 4 games making his total tally 19 in 6 competitive ODIs overall. With Pakistan hot favorites to chase to down New Zealand’s 27 in the final ODI of the year 2014, Matt Henry made his ball talk on the dead pitch of Abu Dhabi and grabbed a huge victory for his team.

Note: This team is a fantasy team created on a basis of relative player statistics by <a href="http://www.twitter.com/IamIsrarHashmi">Israr Ahmed Hashmi</a> for CricTracker. It has nothing to do with ICC or any other relevant cricket board.

CricTracker&#039;s ODI Team of the Year 2014

CricTracker's ODI Team of the Year 2014: Another year of international cricket has ended - a year full of action, drama, sixes, fours, wickets, brilliant catches, good umpiring and equally good captaincy.

CricTracker&#039;s ODI Team of the Year 2014

CricTracker's ODI Team of the Year 2014