Warner misses out in Warne's T20 XI

Shane Warne has left Australia opener David Warner out of his World T20 team but named Mitchell Starc, suggesting the pace bowler has proven his worth to the retired leg-spinner since being criticised for flagging in the humidity of the 2014 Test against India at the Gabba.

Warne described Starc’s body language that day as “soft” but since then Starc has established himself as one of the sport’s premier fast bowlers, and was named the player of the tournament at the 2015 World Cup.

Starc’s undoubted qualities as a spearhead were acknowledged by Warne when the great leg-spinner posted his World T20 team on Facebook on Saturday.

Allrounder Shane Watson, who celebrated his 35th birthday on Friday, was the only other Australian who made the cut.

The outspoken former leg-spinner has favoured aggression, power and excitement, with West Indies batsman Chris Gayle as an opener, India skipper Virat Kohli, South Africa’s AB de Villiers and allrounder Andre Russell all getting the nod.

Russell was one of the stars of the last KFC Big Bash League tournament, establishing himself as a T20 superman with some heroic efforts in the field, belting 15 sixes among his 185 runs and snaring 16 wickets for the Sydney Thunder en route to their maiden championship.

His team has a Calypso theme, a reflection of the West Indies triumph at the last World T20 in India and the dominance of Caribbean players in tournaments around the world with Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine joining Russell and Gayle.

Recently retired New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum was selected to partner Gayle as opener while England’s Jos Butler is Warne’s wicketkeeper.

Warne’s bowling attack also includes Bangladesh’s sensation Mustafizur Rahman.

Warner does not have a Big Bash team with international duties making him unavailable for the tournament but captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to win the Indian Premier League for the first time this season. It is a shock exclusion considering McCullum, who beat him as opener, didn’t have the best of IPL tournaments.

Warne’s World T20 team

Chris Gayle (West Indies)
Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
Virat Kohli (India)
AB de Villiers (South Africa)
Shane Watson (Australia)
Andre Russell (West Indies)
Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)
Jos Buttler (wk, England)
Mitchell Starc (Australia)
Sunil Narine (West Indies)
Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)