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The T20 World Cup was like a fantasy come true for some while a nightmare for the others. But nobody can deny the success of the tournament. Adam Bayfield puts together a dream team from the competition that enthralled one and all.

Team of the Tournament

1. Chris Gayle (West Indies)
Having declared Test cricket a waste of time, the onus was on the West Indian skipper to support his proclaimed love of T20 with performances on the pitch. My word did he deliver. His astonishing assault on the bewildered Aussie bowlers on the second day was one of the most memorable sights of the tournament.

2. Tilakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)
For years regarded as a 'bits-and-pieces' cricketer, Dilshan's performances in England have caused heads around the world to turn, and those in the stadia to duck. The Sri Lankan opener compiled a staggering 317 runs at a strike rate of 145, including an unbeaten 96 in the semis that propelled his side into the final, and he scratched his name into cricketing lore with his incredible 'Dilscoop'.

3. Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
After forging a tidy career as one of cricket's most orthodox batsmen, Kallis could so easily have been left behind by the T20 revolution, and indeed he was overlooked for the inaugural World T20. Displaying admirable versatility, however, the South African all-rounder has reinvented himself as a power-hitter at the top of the order. His average of 59 was the highest in the competition.

4. Kevin Pietersen (England)
On the eve of the tournament, England's star player declared gloomily that he was 'not very good at T20', but it didn't really look like it, as he carried his side to defensible totals against Pakistan and India, and finished with the formidable strike rate of 152.

5. AB De Villiers (South Africa)
Coming into the competition as one of the world's in-form players, De Villiers carried a lot of expectations on his shoulders, but he seemed able to move them freely enough, striking lusty blows to all parts of the ground on his way to several crucial scores. A total of six sixes and some extraordinarily athletic fielding demonstrated his suitability to this format of the game.

6. Niall O'Brien (wk) (Ireland)
The Irish gloveman backed up his eye-catching turns at the 2007 World Cup with some excellent performances here. He hit 40 from 25 balls to power his side to a deserved victory over Bangladesh, and his work behind the stumps was of the highest class throughout. The standout player in a resolutely successful side.

7. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
What can you say about Boom-Boom? Just when you thought his career might be in decline, he goes and makes himself one of the tournament's star performers. The most economical bowler in the competition, his 11 wickets all played a significant part in Pakistan's victory march, while his batting, which appeared to have fallen off a cliff, came good at inarguably the right time, setting up a match-winning total against the South Africans, and then steering the team home in the final.

8. Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan)
Twelve wickets and an economy rate of 5.82 are a fair reflection on an outstanding tournament for the off-spinner. If few knew much about him beforehand, everyone is wary of him now.

9. Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka)
The most exciting young talent in world cricket, the Sri Lankan mystery spinner did not disappoint his burgeoning legion of fans, running through a bewildered Australian batting lineup to kickstart his side's tournament, and never looking back. The Pakistani batsmen may have got the better of him in the final, but a return of 12 wickets at an average of 11.91 is cast-iron proof of his success.

10. Wayne Parnell (South Africa)
The 19 year-old left-armer had a tournament to remember. His death bowling was absolutely superb, serving up a diet of yorkers to frustrate opposition batsmen. This guy has a big future.

11. Umar Gul (Pakistan)
The best bowler in the first World T20, Gul was again the outstanding seamer here. He spearheaded the Pakistani attack quite brilliantly, his metronomic accuracy rewarded with the astonishing figures of 5-6 against New Zealand, and a total of 13 wickets, the most in the competition.

Adam Bayfield is also the host of the World Cricket Show.

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