Your 2018 teams of the year compared with ours
The men's ODI and women's XIs look look largely similar, but our readers have made a number of changes to our Test and T20 XIs
ESPNcricinfo staff
13-Jan-2019
As part of our 2018 in review package, ESPNcricinfo staffers had picked their teams of the year under four categories - men's Tests, ODIs and T20s, and a combined women's XI picked basis their performances across the ODI and T20I formats. It was an exceptional 2018 for Test cricket, a year when bowlers - pace bowlers, in particular - ruled the roost, while wristspinners continued to boss the shorter formats. Our readers' XIs - the result of a week-long voting process - are an apt reflection of these trends, and in some cases, look markedly different from the ones picked by our staff.
Nathan Lyon misses out from our readers' XI, with an all-right-arm-pace attack in charge of picking up 20 wickets. How they would ever keep up with the over rates, we don't know.
OUT: Henry Nicholls, Jason Holder, Nathan Lyon, Shannon Gabriel
IN: Cheteshwar Pujara, AB de Villiers, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah
IN: Cheteshwar Pujara, AB de Villiers, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah
Nearly identical ODI teams picked by our staff and our readers, with the only difference being the all-round option.
OUT: Chris Woakes
IN: Shakib Al Hasan
IN: Shakib Al Hasan
As many as three wristspinners make up our readers' T20 XI, with Jasprit Bumrah and Andre Russell sharing the fast-bowling duties.
OUT: Aaron Finch, Joe Denly, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye
IN: Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shadab Khan, Jasprit Bumrah
IN: Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shadab Khan, Jasprit Bumrah
Our readers went in for two more national side captains, with Australia's Meg Lanning replacing compatriot Rachael Haynes, and West Indies' Stafanie Taylor coming in for South Africa pace bowler Shabnim Ismail.
OUT: Rachael Haynes, Shabnim Ismail
IN: Meg Lanning, Stafanie Taylor
IN: Meg Lanning, Stafanie Taylor