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Cup champions pick their World Cup MVP

Four World Cup winners nominate the player they would put first on their team sheet

One-hundred and fifty of the best one-day players on the planet will be in the United Kingdom this northern summer as part of the quadrennial 50-over showpiece event, the ICC Cricket World Cup.

The likes of India captain Virat Kohli, Australia paceman Mitch Starc, England allrounder Ben Stokes and boom speedster Kagiso Rabada headline the superstars in attendance.

This year's World Cup captains were stumped when they were asked which player from a rival team they would add to their own squads. But if you had to pick just one player to start a team out of the 150 available, who would you select?

Cricket.com.au asked four World Cup champions and legends of the 50-over game who would they chose first if they were picking an ODI World XI.

Brett Lee

"I'll go Pat Cummins. A natural born leader without having the captaincy next to his name. A guy who I think I an absolute superstar of world cricket. Good with the ball, good with the bat, wonderful in the field but just a great guy. To me, I want to pick guys that you believe in and you want to follow and also bring the team with them. Pat Cummins ticks every single box."

Image Id: F8B9FC6F85B745F2BB257597BDF7CB47 Image Caption: Pat Cummins looms as a trump card for the Aussies // Getty

Mark Waugh

"Probably Virat Kohli. What's he average, about 60? He's just an amazing player. He wins so many games for India. I'd definitely pick him, he'd be the No.1."

Ponting's World Cup danger man: Virat Kohli

Allan Border

"I reckon Jos Buttler. He's almost transforming the game with his power-hitting in all conditions and he's just so dangerous – he takes the game away from sides. Over the past couple of years he's been phenomenal. Right at the moment it would be hard not to pick Virat Kohli first up, or Rohit Sharma, but what I've seen in recent times of Jos Buttler, bloody hell, he's as good as it gets.

Ponting's World Cup danger man: Jos Buttler

Andrew Symonds

"Marcus Stoinis. I'm building around Stoinis. When he competes I think he takes men with him and I think he leads people in the way that he competes."

Ponting's World Cup danger man: Marcus Stoinis

2019 World Cup

Australia's squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

May 22: (warm-up) Australia beat West Indies by seven wickets

May 25: (warm-up) Australia beat England by 12 runs

May 27: (warm-up) Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton

June 1: Afghanistan v Australia, Bristol (D/N)

June 6: Australia v West Indies, Trent Bridge

June 9: India v Australia, The Oval

June 12: Australia v Pakistan, Taunton

June 15: Sri Lanka v Australia, The Oval

June 20: Australia v Bangladesh, Trent Bridge

June 25: England v Australia, Lord's

June 29: New Zealand v Australia, Lord's (D/N)

July 6: Australia v South Africa, Old Trafford (D/N)

July 9: Semi-Final 1, Old Trafford

July 11: Semi-Final 2, Edgbaston

July 14: Final, Lord's

For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE