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Looks good to me

Maybe put AB as wicketkeeper and have another bowler?

Where is SRT?
Sehwag is a Flat Track Bully IMO.

I cannot beleive that you cant find a spot for Watson: he has been outscoring Sehwag and his only downpoint is the lack of hundreds - but with all the stodgy rungetters in your lineup this is the last of your worries.

Agree with most of the rest but why not Dhoni? He is the best keeper bat in the world and a great presence on the team. Prior may have a few runs but not the same pedigree.

Good team, though many places could be happily filled by alternative players (Watson, Tendulkar, Morkel etc...)

Arguably the bowling attack could do with some genuine height and bounce for variety, but it's hard to say who'd be dropped.

Who'd skipper your side?

I'd have Amla over Bell any day of the week and I still think Gambir is better than Cook. Cook is in a rich vain of form last 8 months but Gambir has been consistant for 2-3 years. The late summer series may prove who is the better opener.

1) Alastair Cook- Currently in the form of his life, miles ahead of any other opener in world Test cricket at the moment. Also still only 26 which puts his unbelieveable temperament on show.
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if someone had said that 12 months ago, they would have been taken out and shot.

1)Sehwag
2)Watson
3)Trott (or Sanga)
4)Tendulkar
5)Kallis
6)ABD
7)Dhoni(WK)
8)Harby (or Swann)
9)Steyn
10)Zaheer
11)Anderson

Why would you pick Watson over Cook?
And, on current form at least, I'd take Bell over ABD.

I would have ABD. He is bound to come good now and then. If he is ready to keep wickets, then I would replace Dhoni with him and get VVS. Since Trott is in we don't need Cook. Both are slowish players. Alternatively get Cook in for Watson and Sanga for Trott.

"Since Trott is in we don't need Cook. Both are slowish players."

We're talking about test matches here aren't we?
Rather have more runs than score less slightly quicker, myself.

My 11
1.Cook(like gambhir a year or two ago)
2.shehwag(needs no introduction)
3.ponting*(one of the all time bat)
4.tendulkar(see ponting)
5.kallis(see ponting and tendo +he can consistently bowl 140+)
6.bell(one of the best mid over bat atm)
7.ABDV+(see bell+safe behind the wicket)
8.swann(best spinner atm)
9.steyn(rare quality seamer atm)
10.zaheer(mr.consistent)
11.andersen(bend it like beckham)
bench:amla,watson,prior.

"We're talking about test matches here aren't we?"

We are talking about winning test matches.

"comment by (U4040) posted 52 minutes ago

"We're talking about test matches here aren't we?"

We are talking about winning test matches."

So I'd go for the guy who's likely to score more runs and, as far as I can tell, Cook has a higher test average and strike rate in the last year than Watson.
So why would you pick Watson over Cook?

Cook is just 26 with over 5,500 runs, averaging a shade under 50, the world is his oyster. He could becomes one of the all time greats. ? ....... thats why !

Is it so difficult. I would not want Cook and Trott together in my team. They may score 500 runs in 3 days but my bowlers then will have the task to take out the opposition twice in 2 days.

They may score 500 runs in 3 days
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what game have you been watching ? when have they scored at 50 odd runs a session ? they may score a bit slower than pietersen or bell down the order, but that's what the top order's for.

Any Test XI that doesn't include the best batsman in World Cricket, namely Sachin Tendulkar, cannot hope to be called the Best XI.

Surely Tendulkar is better then De Villiers or Bell, if not Kallis or Trott?
He's the ICC cricketer of the year, the No.1 batsman in Tests, the best batsman in the World Cup and he isn't even part of the best Test XI?

What a joke!

As for the rest of the XI, I agree with it. But I'd surely replace ABD or Bell with Tendulkar.

Also, I'd think Laxman has a case for inclusion too, considering how magical he has been in 2010, during which he has scored sensational match-winning knocks:
Kolkata 2010
Mohali 2010
Colombo PSC 2010
Durban 2010 (Only batsman to score 50+, that is 96, on an extremely tough pitch, in a Test that included top batsmen on both sides)

Seems like my selection(see above) is the best of the lots.

indiasox:
At the moment I wouldn't have Ponting anywhere near a World XI. There're so many contenders for the No.3 spot alone, let alone a spot in the entire XI.

I would replace Ponting with Trott without so much as batting an eyelid.

I would also consider including Laxman somewhere, but Bell and ABD are excellent inclusions too. But please don't go by any impressions that ABD can keep well.

He can barely keep and most of the time he refuses to (or is not allowed to) simply because it affects his batting.
Dhoni would be a good choice considering how good the batting in the XI is anyway.
Dhoni is an excellent keeper and exceptional captain (one thing you notice in your XI is that it doesn't have a captain).

So my XI would be
Sehwag
Cook
Trott
Tendulkar
Kallis
Laxman/Bell (I would prefer the former)
Dhoni
Swann/Harbhajan (let's not forget how well Bhajji bats)
Steyn
Zaheer
Anderson/Morkel/Tremlett