No Windians in 2006 ICC Test Team

There are no West Indians in the International Cricket Council's World Test Team of the Year announced today.

The side, picked by a selection panel chaired by Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, includes players for six Test teams but the Caribbean side is noticeably blank this year. Brian Lara was a member of last year's team.

The World Test Team of the Year (in batting order) is:

Matthew Hayden (Aus)
Michael Hussey (Aus)
Ricky Ponting (Aus) Rahul Dravid (Ind, captain)
Mohammed Yousuf (Pak)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL, wicketkeeper)
Andrew Flintoff (Eng)
Shane Warne (Aus)
Makhaya Ntini (SA)
Muttiah Muralidaran (SL)
Glenn McGrath (Aus)
12th man: Brett Lee (Aus)

Four players - Ricky Ponting, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath ? were also named in the World Test Team of the Year in 2005. Ponting and Warne also appeared in the team of 2004.

Indian captain Rahul Dravid was named skipper of the World Test Team of the Year.

The team was chosen by the ICC's specially appointed expert selection panel made up of Sunil Gavaskar (Chairman), Ian Healy, Allan Donald, Waqar Younis and Arjuna Ranatunga using their knowledge, judgement and expert opinion.

Selection was based on performances between the voting period of 1 August 2005 to 8 August 2006. Statistics were available as a guide but were not necessarily a determining factor in the choices made.