Legendary Australian captain Mark Waugh picks his top five best T20 players; leaves out Kohli, Babar, Rizwan

The biggest event of 2022 is just a few weeks away, which will start in Australia next month on October 16. The 2022 T20 World Cup will see a total of 16 teams trying their luck and hard work to be crowned as T20 World Champions.

With not much time left before the start of the T20 WC, the predictions have started. Many former cricketers and cricket analysts are sharing their opinions on their best teams and players. Former Australian skipper and one of the most aggressive batsmen of his time, Mark Waugh, has chosen the top five players that he would pick in his World T20 XI.

Waugh was known for his aggressive approach, and his all-round skills were valuable for Australia. He was also an integral part of the 1999 ODI World Cup win for Australia.

He would have been among the top players in the modern era if he had played in modern day cricket. In the latest interaction, Waugh opened up about the top five players he would like to have on his team.

1. Jasprit Bumrah - 45th Ranked T20I Bowler

 Waugh named India's ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah as his first pick in his team. He said that Bumrah is a brilliant bowler who can perform in all three formats and is capable of taking wickets at any moment in T20 cricket and can bowl in the power-play and in the final overs as well.

2. Shaheen Afridi - 19th Ranked T20I Bowler

At No. 2, Waugh picked Pakistan speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi. The young pacer is currently recovering from his knee injury, which kept him out of action for the last 2-3 months. He is hopeful of making his comeback in the T20 World Cup. The former Australian skipper said that Shaheen would be an excellent option to open the bowling and, being a left-armer, he brings a totally different skill-set to the table. He said, "He can swing the ball back into the right-hander; he’s quick as well, so I’ve got him number two."

3. Rashid Khan - 4th Ranked T20I Bowler

The former Australia skipper named Afghanistan star leg-spinner Rashid Khan as his third pick for his team. He said that Rashid is a complete T20 bowler who has loads of experience playing in different leagues around the world. Waugh added that the leg-spinner knows his job and will assure you of four good overs in the middle and can bat as well. He said, "He’ll probably get two or three wickets and go for 20 runs, and he can bat. He can also whack the ball over the fence."

4. Jos Buttler - 15th Ranked T20I Batsmen

With three brilliant bowles, Waugh has picked Jos Buttler as his wicket-keeper batsman in the team. Buttler has been in top form at both the international and domestic levels. He has also taken over the captaincy of England's white-ball team after Eoin Morgan's retirement. The former Australian skipper stated that Buttler is totally different when it comes to T20 cricket. He said, "I think he's probably the number one batsman in world cricket in the T20 format. He's just a clean striker of the ball."

5. Glenn Maxwell - 29th Ranked T20I Batsmen / 5th Ranked All-rounder

Mark Waugh has also picked one Australian in the list. He has named the all-rounder Glenn Maxwell as his fifth pick for his World T20 XI. He said that Maxwell can win you the match from any position on his day and with the ball as well. He can do well for his team. Waugh added, "I think if he bats 30 balls, he'll win you the game. So I think Maxwell, even though he's just not a consistent player, he's that X-factor that can win your game on any given day."