Our method involved filtering out players in the top 100 of all three rankings tables, adding together their current ICC ratings, and then picking the top five batters, the top keeper in the batting rankings, the top all-rounder, and the top four bowlers. For this XI, we’ve ensured there are two spinners, with an all-format XI, even a theoretical one, not able to rely on just one tweaker.

Here is the XI we ended up with.

The current all-format world XI, as based on the ICC rankings – the selections

Rohit Sharma – India

Test ranking: 6th (764 points), ODI ranking: 3rd (817 points), T20I ranking: 19th (577 points)
Combined rating: 2,158 points

Long established as an opening great in white-ball cricket, Rohit Sharma has recently graduated to the top of the order in Tests too, with spectacular results. While he’s still waiting for a big score away from home, he looks to have all the tools to succeed in all conditions, making him the perfect opener in our all-format XI.

Quinton de Kock – South Africa (wk)

Test ranking: 9th (717 points), ODI ranking: 10th (758 points), T20I ranking: 12th (609 points)
Combined rating: 2,084 points

Quinton de Kock has managed to rise above South Africa’s struggles to maintain a position near the pinnacle in all three formats, and while he’s the keeper in this side, he’s actually fifth in our combined batting leaderboard. While opening and taking the gloves is a tough ask, as a player to have opened in all three formats, de Kock will do so in this team too.

Kane Williamson – New Zealand

Test ranking: 1st (901 points), ODI ranking: 11th (754 points), T20I ranking: 36th (512 points)
Combined rating: 2,167 points

Kane Williamson’s lofty Test rating is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, with the New Zealand captain outside the top 10 in the two white-ball formats, though as Player of the Tournament in the 2019 World Cup, he’s more than handy in those too. His technical mastery leaves him at first drop here.

Virat Kohli – India

Test ranking: 5th (791 points), ODI ranking: 2nd (848 points), T20I ranking: 5th (717 points)
Combined rating: 2,356 points

In the opinion of many, Virat Kohli is the greatest all-format batsman of all time, having redefined what’s possible in terms of white-ball consistency while also driving India to unprecedented heights in Test cricket. He’s the only player inside the top five in all formats, but, by our combined rating metric, he’s not quite the best there is right now.

Babar Azam – Pakistan

Test ranking: 10th (714 points), ODI ranking: 1st (873 points), T20I ranking: 2nd (819 points)
Combined rating: 2,406 points

That honour falls to Babar Azam, the crown prince of Pakistan batting, and, for some, the player who has usurped Joe Root in the so-called Big Four. Root’s absence from this XI, due to his non-existent T20I ranking, provides some evidence to support that claim. Babar’s conservative approach to the shortest format makes him a controversial player in some estimations, but the ICC ranking rates run-getting above all else, and so Babar gets into this team.

Steve Smith – Australia

Test ranking: 2nd (891 points), ODI ranking: 17th (707 points), T20I ranking: 97th (352 points)
Combined rating: 1,952 points

Given he’s just three places away from slipping outside the T20I top 100 altogether, Steve Smith is quite lucky to make this team. Still, he’s earned the title of the best since Bradman for a reason, but given he’s the lowest rated of this team’s batsmen, he’ll have to slot in at No.6.

Shakib Al Hasan – Bangladesh

Test ranking: 5th (334 points), ODI ranking: 1st (416 points), T20I ranking: 1st (286 points)
Combined rating: 1,036 points

Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer is a shoo-in in this team, as the only player in the top ten in all three formats.

Pat Cummins – Australia

Test ranking: 1st (908 points), ODI ranking: 10th (646 points), T20I ranking: 80th (403 points)
Combined rating: 1,957 points

While Pat Cummins’ T20I ranking is low, he secured a hefty IPL gig and adds batting depth to this line-up too. In a way, it’s sickening that a man as good-looking and well-liked as he is is also good enough at cricket to get into this team on the strength of their work across formats. It turns out you really can have it all.

Rashid Khan – Afghanistan

Test ranking: 33rd (543 points), ODI ranking: 14th (626 points), T20I ranking: 3rd (719 points)
Combined rating: 1,888 points

Our desire to pick two spinners sees Rashid Khan leapfrog Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult into this team, though that still feels merited. The Afghan superstar’s lowest ranking is in Test cricket, where limited opportunities is the only thing holding him back: he’s on track to be one of the fastest to 50 wickets in the format.

Tim Southee – New Zealand

Test ranking: 3rd (824 points), ODI ranking: 41st (500 points), T20I ranking: 6th (669 points)
Combined rating: 1,993 points

Tim Southee might be a somewhat surprising inclusion, but he’s actually top by our combined rating method. He hits the deck hard with the new ball, and can also smash a few down the order.

Josh Hazlewood – Australia

Test ranking: 4th (816 points), ODI ranking: 7th (660 points), T20I ranking: 34th (502 points)
Combined rating: 1,978 points

Josh Hazlewood is second by our combined method, despite having only returned to Australia’s T20I set-up just under a year ago. The metronomic Australian has an accurate, relentless method that works no matter the format.

The current all-format world XI, as based on the ICC rankings – the line-up

1. Rohit Sharma
2. Quinton de Kock (wk)
3. Kane Williamson
4. Virat Kohli
5. Babar Azam
6. Steve Smith
7. Shakib Al Hasan
8. Pat Cummins
9. Rashid Khan
10. Tim Southee
11. Josh Hazlewood