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Two Proteas in World Cup team

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Ab de Villiers and Dale Steyn (Gallo Images)
Ab de Villiers and Dale Steyn (Gallo Images)

Johannesburg - South African middle order batsman AB de Villiers and fast bowler Dale Steyn were included in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup team of the tournament named on Sunday.

Finalists India and Sri Lanka contributed a total of seven players to the team, and South Africa, who were knocked out by New Zealand in the quarter-finals, were the only other country to have more than one player included.

De Villiers, who was also considered for the Player of the Tournament award won by India's Yuvraj Singh, made 353 runs in only five games, including two centuries, at an average of 88.25 and a strike rate of 108.28.

Steyn, who played six matches, picked up 12 wickets at an average of 16.00. He also boasted the Proteas' best match figures of the tournament with a 5/50 return in South Africa's group stage win over eventual champions India.

The five-man selection panel said spin bowler Imran Tahir, who made his international debut in South Africa's opening match against the West Indies, but also played only five games, had been considered for the ICC team.

South Africa's leading wicket taker in the tournament, spinner Robin Peterson, who played all seven of the Proteas' matches, took 15 scalps at 15.86 but was not considered.

Sri Lankan opening batsman and wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara was named captain of the team.

ICC team: Sachin Tendulkar (India), Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, wkt and captain), Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka), AB de Villiers (South Africa, Yuvraj Singh (India), Shane Watson (Australia), Shahid Afridi (Pakistan), Dale Steyn (South Africa), Zaheer Khan (India), Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka). 12th man: Tim Southee (New Zealand).

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