Record-breaking captain Allan Border is the surprise omission from Australia's greatest one-day international cricket team, which was announced in Sydney on Tuesday.

In a celebration of Australia's involvement in the shortened version of the game, Steve Waugh was named captain of the 12-man team, which includes four members of the current squad which will fly to the Caribbean on Wednesday bidding for a third-straight World Cup.

Ricky Ponting, named vice-captain, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Glenn McGrath were all included, plus the injured Brett Lee.

They were named alongside Shane Warne, Mark Waugh, Dean Jones, Michael Bevan and Dennis Lillee with Greg Chappell 12th man in a fairly straight-forward team.

But Border, who carried Australia through a dark age in the sport throughout the 1980s and skippered the country's first World Cup victory in 1987, was nowhere to be seen.

The side was voted on by all 163 players to have represented Australia since one-day cricket's inception in 1971.

Border captained Australia a record 178 times and his 273 overall one-day appearances are second only to Steve Waugh (325) The annual Australian player of the year award is also named in his honour.

But the left-hander, who also missed out on the starting XI when named 12th man in Australia's Test team of the century, has again been snubbed.

Interestingly Steve Waugh, despite declining to include himself, also left Border out of his team published in News Ltd newspapers.

Waugh only named 11 players, with relative newcomer Mike Hussey earning a middle-order spot ahead of Border.

Darren Lehmann, who played 117 matches and hit the winning runs for Australia in the 1999 World Cup triumph, had Border at No.5 ahead of one-day specialist Bevan, who he named 12th man in a list in the Adelaide Advertiser.

A two-time World Cup winner, Lehmann himself was an honourable mention, making the shortlist of 30 but missing out on the final 12, along with fellow batsman Damien Martyn.

Lee, who will miss the upcoming World Cup due to injury, earned a spot due to his impressive one-day strike-rate of 28.94, but his economy rate of 4.69 runs per over leaves plenty to be desired.

World Cup winners Tom Moody and David Boon also failed to make the cut, as well as Matthew Hayden, who hit a record 181 not out in the recent failed Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand.

Simon O'Donnell also missed out, with 2003 World Cup hero Symonds claiming the all-rounder spot.

But there were few other arguments in the team, which includes Australia's two highest wicket-takers in McGrath (354) and Warne (291), who survived his failed drug test on the eve of the 2003 World Cup to make the cut.

Team (in batting order): Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting (vice-capt), Dean Jones, Steve Waugh (capt), Michael Bevan, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Greg Chappell (12th man).

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP