Holden's NZ All-Time World Cup XI

With the World Cup looming, here's a quick look at the best XI I can muster from the annals of Kiwi Cricket World Cup history. It's based on a bit of maths and a lot of gut feel. Have a squizz then tee off with your own thoughts.

Openers: G Turner and R Twose - The man with Maitland in his name is one of the prickliest characters in the sport in this country but is a shoo-in for this XI. He scored a monster ton against East Africa (Ethiopia, Zambia and co) which remains the sixth highest score ever in World Cup cricket. The knock was punctuated with a procession of his trademark cover drives. I had to overlook Nathan Astle the Pastel even though he has twin World Cup tons. I just could not brush his world record five ducks at World Cups under the stained beige carpet, nor his Cup average of just 20. Instead I've manufactured an opener in Roger Twose, a man who has the third healthiest Kiwi batting average in World Cups (a shade under 50), and has CWC numbers better than blokes like Ponting, Collingwood and Steve Waugh. In nine digs at the 1999 World Cup he was out just four times, using his excellent cricket nous to collect 318 runs at 79.50, including match-winning knocks of 80* against Australia and 60* against India.

First drop: M Crowe: First man picked because of the 1992 World Cup when he was magnificent (and magnificently bandanna-ed) and the best batsman on the planet for a month. He averaged 114 but, more important, he inspired the country to fall back in love with cricket. We need an M.D. Crowe clone for the upcoming tournament.

Middle order: S Fleming (c), S Styris - Flem will need to pull rank on Turner and Crowe of course, but given he's captained more World Cup games than any player in history he has the CV to pull that off. He also has the greatest Kiwi one-day innings of all time to remind them of, a majestic unbeaten 134 from 132 balls against Donald, Ntini and Pollock at Wanderers. His batting that day, coupled with hypnotising opposition captain Pollock into being unable to read a calculator, meant NZ also pulled off one of the most extraordinary World Cup victories ever. The pugnacious Styris has an unbelievable World Cup batting record - he has the third best average of anyone, anywhere behind only Lance Klusener and Andrew Symonds. Back in 2007, he hit a real pink patch 87*, 63, 28, 80*, 10, 111*, 56, 27 and 37 to end up with 499 runs. That's 43 more than even MD Crowe in that fabled run of 1992. As icing on the cake, the porcine one also has our best World Cup strike rate: 89.

All-rounders: C Harris, R Hadlee - The man with a fire-break on his head has taken 32 wickets in World Cups, to lead all Kiwis. On the wicket front, he's even stevens with Shane Warne and ahead of blokey blokes like Ian Botham and less blokey blokes like Anil Kumble too. He was also the dominant participant in that insanely good partnership of 168 with Lee Germon, collecting a glorious 130 from 124 balls. Extra kudos for running out the stocky Tasmanian run machine with a majestic throw from the deep in the 1992 CWC opener too. Hadlee sneaks into the team, as he does with every NZ all-time XI, but this time it's primarily based on his parsimony. Hadlee is the third most economical bowler ever to take on the world at the Cup, conceding just 2.99 runs per over.

Wicketkeeper:  B McCullum - I need a keeper and Bmac has more scalps to his name than Parore and Smith (and even Germon), including two four-catch efforts in the last Cup. Lob in some flat-track bulliness in the form of our fastest 50 ever in a World Cup for NZ (20 balls vs the maple syrupers) and he's locked and loaded.

Spinner: D Patel - A sentimental choice after Kenya's best cricketer became a cult hero around the world when Warren Lees and Martin Crowe came up with a deranged plan to have him open the bowling in the '92 World Cup. The shock tactic worked sensationally and he not only conceded a miserly 3.1 runs per over, but inspired the squadron of annoying dibbly-dobbler bowlers who would follow him at the crease after his spell.

Pacemen: S Bond, G Allott - Both did some freakish things at World Cups. Allott was chief annihilator with the swinging ball in England back in 2000 and boasts the best all-time Cup bowling average: 20 wickets at a mouthwatering 16.25. That's better than Michael Holding. He's behind only Brett Lee and Waqar Younis on the strike rate front too. Meanwhile Bondy is not far behind with 30 wickets at 17.27. He has our best ever bowling figures being that brutal 6/23 against Australia when he scalped Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting, Martyn, Hogg and Harvey. Unfortunately as NZ capitulated in the chase he was last man out, handing the win to the Strayans with a look of agitation and annoyance.

Who would be your all-time Kiwi World Cup XI?