Gilchrist voted Australia?s greatest ever ODI player

Every player who has represented Australia in ODIs was eligible to take part in the poll and Gilchrist earned 38% of the votes, ahead of Ricky Ponting on 19% and Steve Waugh on 14%. Gilchrist, who was also picked in Australia’s greatest ODI and Test XI in history, has considered hanging up the boots in the next 18 months or so.

The survey was a follow-up to the announcement of Australia's greatest ODI team in February. Here is the celebrated XI of the four-time World Cup winners:-

Australia's greatest ODI team: Adam Gilchrist (wk), Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting (vice-captain), Dean Jones, Steve Waugh (captain), Michael Bevan, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Greg Chappell (12th man).

Tremendous WC final record

Gilchrist has played a significant role in Australia’s three back-to-back World Cup victories since 1999. He scored half-centuries in the ’99 and ’03 finals and backed it up with a scintillating century in his last world cup match – the 2007 final in Barbados.

He is the only player apart from Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath to participate in the hat-trick of final triumphs. He was adjudged the man-of-the-match when Australia defeated Sri Lanka in the 2007 final. He smashed 149 runs from 104 balls and once against established his worth as the most dangerous opener in world cricket.

Gilchrist sits second to Ponting on Australia's list of all-time ODI run scorers with 9222 at 36.02, his strike-rate of 96.61 is the best among Australia batsmen, and his 451 dismissals places him comfortably at the top of Australia's list of ODI wicketkeepers. He is also the third most-capped player behind Steve Waugh and Ponting, and has captained in 17 ODIs.

"To be given this enormous honour by my peers is unbelievably humbling and ranks highly amongst the accolades l have received over my career," Gilchrist said. "I have been very fortunate to have played in such a successful era and with such a great group of players. I feel very fortunate to be acknowledged in this way."

Gilchrist looks set to add to those totals in the next few months, although he has hinted that he might consider giving up one-day cricket to prolong his Test career. After Gilchrist, Ponting and Waugh in the individual poll comes Shane Warne with 9% of the votes, Michael Bevan (7%), Dean Jones (5%) and Allan Border, who rated 4% despite not being included in the greatest ODI side.