Earlier this year, my friend Terence came up with this novel and ingenious idea of an all-time Righties World XI vs Lefties World XI, in Test cricket. I have seen all-time cricket XI teams of all sorts and opinions; of countries, from notable past players, and from reputed sports magazines, but rarely one in terms of handedness. Terence’s proposed teams, to be gentle, had a few weak links, but the overall idea chain clung to me like the stripes on a zebra. His friends and I suggested our inputs for possible improvements leading to a heated discussion on which team we thought would possibly win a one-off Test match or series. This forced me to consider my all-time Righties vs Lefties World teams, which I’ll share with you today.

In any cricket team, every player has a special role to play. There are the openers, who as the name suggest, commence the batting side’s innings against a red, hard pelting new ball – oftentimes – from the opposition’s fiercest and deadliest bowlers. There are also the middle-order batsmen, the all-rounders, the wicketkeeper, fast bowlers, and the spinners. Therefore, my teams must have the right mix of players to ensure it is a balanced side. Ideally, the XI should constitute two openers, three middle-order batsmen, one genuine all-rounder, a wicketkeeper, three fast bowlers and a spinner. The only question that remains unanswered is, who will lead the teams as a captain?