Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Steve Waugh was chosen by his peers as captain of Australia's greatest-ever one-day cricket team, which included four players who will defend the World Cup over the next two months.
Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who opens the batting in one- day internationals, topped the voting after all 163 players to have represented Australia in limited-over games were invited by Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association to select their best team and nominate a captain.
Current captain Ricky Ponting, all-rounder Andrew Symonds and Glenn McGrath, who were all picked in Australia's World Cup squad two weeks ago, also made the final 12-man list, which was announced tonight at a ceremony in Sydney. Brett Lee, out of the World Cup with an ankle injury, was included too.
Australia, which will seek an unprecedented third straight World Cup win in the Caribbean, flies out tomorrow before opening its campaign March 14 against Scotland in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Allan Border, who led Australia to the title in 1987, David Boon, Craig McDermott, Darren Lehmann and Matthew Hayden were among former World Cup winners to miss out.
The final 12 have played a combined 2,370 one-day internationals, scoring 55,831 runs and taking 1,532 wickets. Waugh played an Australian record 325 matches, including 106 as captain.
AUSTRALIA'S GREATEST ONE-DAY CRICKET TEAM: Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting (vice-captain), Dean Jones, Steve Waugh (captain), Michael Bevan, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Greg Chappell (12th man).