A select Wisden panel sat down earlier this week and picked out a World Test XI based on recent form and career records.

Wisden.com managing editor Ben Gardner, Wisden India editor Aadya Sharma and Wisden.com features editor Taha Hashim sat down to build the best current Test side across conditions.

The wicketkeeper’s position came under discussion after the panel was done discussing the top five batters, and the all-rounder. It was decided that the keeper should be someone who bats at six in the XI.

Here are a few snippets of that discussion:

BG: Aadya and I agree on this. We both had Mohammad Rizwan. When I was picking this XI, overall, it was mostly based on impression and how good I felt the player was without getting too deeply into numbers, because you get weird things with sample sizes – some players have played a couple of games, some players have played loads. Rizwan just seems like the wicketkeeper right now. He’s a brilliant gloveman but also you can rely on him to get runs in whatever situation. He’s very good technically, and some of this is based on his white-ball form – which is kind of fine because it shows that he’s a man for all situations, I guess.

TH: I’ve gone for Quinton de Kock, who has not only recent form – he did really well against West Indies earlier this year – but he’s also got the overall career record. He’s [averaging] just under 40 after 53 Tests, which for a wicketkeeper is exceptional. But I can be talked around this; Mohammad Rizwan is one of my favourite cricketers in the world right now.

BG: The one thing against Rizwan is that the sample size is still pretty small – He’s played only 17 Tests for 914 runs, he does average 42, which is pretty good. For some reason I got it down to de Kock versus Rizwan in my mind, sort of unfairly discounting Pant, because only recently he had that amazing series in Australia and that amazing hundred against England in India. And he averages 40 after 25 Tests.

I don’t know Aadya, you had Rizwan originally? Where are you leaning on right now?

AS: No, I think it’s Rizwan for me. Depends on the batting that precedes the keeper. Rishabh Pant is a great batsman, the only thing that comes with him is the doubt over his consistency. On that front Rizwan has done well. He has a great technique, and is the sort of player who can do really well across conditions and attacks. In that sense, I’d be wary of keeping both Jadeja and Pant, although India have them. Rizwan’s provides more solidity [in the middle- order].

BG: I guess the way our team is setup that gives Rizwan an edge. If you want a keeper at seven, then you can indulge a Pant or de Kock, but if you want someone at six, then you want someone who can build innings or make a partnership with the top five.

TH: But I don’t think that Quinton de Kock’s an indulgence…

BG: No, I mean, neither is Rishabh Pant, both are brilliant players.

TH: I know what you mean, that de Kock is more flair, whereas Rizwan is more workmanlike.

BG: He does, not that de Kock can’t do that, but Rizwan does it in a different way. If Rizwan and Pakistan played a Test tomorrow, I’d back him to score pretty heavily.

TH: I’m outnumbered.

BG: So, we’ve got Rizwan at six.

You can take a look at the current World Test XI here.