2005 ICC Super Series

ICC Super Series

The official logo of the Johnnie Walker Super Series
Administrator	ICC
Format	Test and ODI
First tournament	2005
Last tournament	2005
Tournament format	Series
Number of teams	2
Current champion	Australia (both Test and ODI)
Most successful	Australia (2 titles (Test and ODI))
Most runs	Adam Gilchrist (275)
Most wickets	Stuart MacGill (9)

The ICC Super Series 2005 was a cricket series in Australia in October 2005 played between Australia, the world's ranked number one side at the time, and an ICC World XI made up of the best non-Australian cricketers. The major sponsor of the series was Johnnie Walker whisky.

While the matches themselves attracted reasonable interest and television viewing, small crowds led to the entire Super Series concept being taken back to the drawing board by the ICC. Both ODI and test squads are featured in Cricket 07, but with Australian players mixed into the squads.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Australian cricket side had become completely dominant in world cricket, and had a reputation of being unbeatable. In this climate, the concept of gathering the world's best players into one team to challenge them was born, and the ICC Super Series was developed.

The World squads were announced on 23 August 2005, with additions on 23 September due to injuries to two players. Of the players in the final squads, five were from South Africa, three each were from England and Pakistan, two each were from India, Sri Lanka and The West Indies, and one was from New Zealand. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh were unrepresented. The players chosen for the rest of the world team were selected by a panel of former test players. They were Sunil Gavaskar, Mike Atherton, GIO, Jonty Rhodes, Aravinda de Silva, Clive Lloyd and Richard Hadlee. The colour of the World XI's uniform was predominantly blue and black. The coach of the team was India's former coach John Wright.