Tendulkar, Zaheer in 2011 ICC Test Team of the Year

Senior Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan earned a place in the ICC Test Team of the Year, chosen by a specially appointed selection panel headed by West Indian legend Clive Lloyd on Friday.

Senior Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan earned a place in the ICC Test Team of the Year, chosen by a specially appointed selection panel headed by West Indian legend Clive Lloyd on Friday.

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Four countries are represented in the 12-man line-up and Tendulkar made the side for the third year in a row, having appeared in the ICC World Test Team of the Year 2009 and 2010.

South African fast bowler Dale Steyn also featured in the World Test team for the fourth year running. He was a member of the ICC World Test Team of the Year 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Steyn's fellow teammates -- Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis -- along with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, and England duo of Graeme Swann and James Anderson all appeared in the side for the second year in a row.

Former Sri Lanka skipper Sangakkara is named as captain of the team.

"The selection of this year's Test team was a difficult one with so many worthy candidates available to fill just 12 places," said Chairman of the LG ICC Awards selection panel, Clive Lloyd in a media conference while announcing the short-lists for the LG ICC Awards 2011 scheduled to be held in London on September 12.

"The team has a formidable line-up that bats well down the order and has bowlers with the ability and form to dismiss any opposition twice on any surface," he said.

Lloyd said the process of selection was a difficult one and they had to weigh the credentials of all the players before zeroing in on the list.

"The selection was a difficult process with so many outstanding performances available to look back on. All the top performers during the voting period were discussed at length and various combinations were considered.

"While selecting the squad, the selectors didn't rely only on statistics only but took into account all other factors like the opposition, pitch conditions, match situation etc. But when you have only 12 places to fill from a big group of world-class players, there will always be a few who will miss out.

"In the panel's expert opinion, it has selected the best team based on performances over the past 12 months," he said.

Lloyd was joined on the panel by former South Africa spin bowler Paul Adams, former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas, former New Zealand bowler-turned-commentator Danny Morrison and former England batsman Mike Gatting.

The ICC Test Team of the Year: Alastair Cook (Eng), Hashim Amla (SA), Jonathan Trott (Eng), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Kumar Sangakkara (SL – wicketkeeper/captain), AB de Villiers (SA), Jacques Kallis (SA), Stuart Broad (Eng), Graeme Swann (Eng), Dale Steyn (SA), James Anderson (Eng), Zaheer Khan (Ind) (12th man).