Tym Glaser, Associate Editor, Sports

THIS TWENTY20 (T20) business is quite a lark, ain't it?

Like, the looks on the bowlers' faces after their best balls have been blasted into the stratosphere are priceless.

Have you ever seen a mug like young Chris Broad's after India's Yuvraj Singh deposited him for six sixes in a row? The poor Pommy lad didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I kinda felt sorry for him for a nano-second then laughed myself silly because you can't take this type of cricket too seriously - particularly if you are a bowler or a captain because you'd got mad.

I also love watching the umpires dive out of the way of straight-driven missiles. For their protection they should be given a helmet, pads and a box (except Bill Doctrove who's been pretty terrible at this wham-bam event - he should remain unprotected). To add extra spice to the games, why can't there be a seven scored for any 'umpire hit', talk about cool.

Anyway, to add to all this hi-jinx, I've chosen my World T20 XI - a side that could put up about 400 runs and then maybe even defend it.

Of course, reaching huge scores depends primarily on the openers who, generally, make the bulk of the runs in the shortened forms of the game and leave the scraps for the rest of the line-up.

For my openers, I can't go past the veterans, 38-year-old Sanath Jayasuriya and nearly 36-year-old Matty Hayden.

Chris Gayle gets an honourable mention for his fantastic, history-making 117 against South Africa, but the little Sri Lankan and the huge Aussie consistently tear the heart out of any attack from ball one. Haydo's made the most runs (203) in the event up to today's semis with three half centuries and an average of a mere 101.5.

Sanath's seventh on the runs list with 154 and two half tons he did fade a bit in the later stages of the tournament.

Dangerous Pietersen

At first drop comes, probably the world's most dangerous batsman at the moment, Kevin Pietersen, the Yaapie turned Pom.

He's unorthodox at the crease at the best of times, but in this game he must be infuriating to bowl at. I hate the reverse sweep but this guy's made it an art form on his way to compiling the second most runs at the Championship (178).

Following K.P. is his former compatriot, Justin Kemp. I've never really rated this over-hyped South African slugger and he still struggles with anything short, but he's come into his own in this form of the game with 173 runs at an average of 86.5 with serious double figures in fours (13) and sixes (10). He's really propped up a shaky SA to order.

After that top four, you're probably not going to require many more bats, but I'll go for two more - maverick Kiwi Craig McMillan (151 runs at 50.33) and my surprise selection, young Bangladeshi (aren't they all) Aftab Ahmed (162 at 40.5).

Behind the stumps I'm going to pick another shocker, of sorts, Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor. The blond bomber only played two games, but against Australia and England he made 107 and was only out once. He just pips Adam Gilchrist for the gloves while Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Indian skipper Mahendra Dhoni had poor tournaments by their standards and their public's expectations.

Now for the bowling fodder. I don't really need all-rounders here but I'll still go with one anyway, the mercurial Shahid Afridi of Pakistan. Afridi's variety of spin and pace is ideal in keeping batsmen out of rhythm. He's the second highest wickettaker at the championship with 11 and his economy per over (6.7) is acceptable.

Meanwile, Morne Morkel's been a revelation with the ball and his nine wickets while conceding only six runs per over augurs well for SA as Shaun Pollock's career nears its end.

Tall Aussie Stuart Clark has been the pick of all bowlers at the tournament with 12 wickets and an economy rate of 5.3. He looks set to step in where the venerable Glenn McGrath left off in all forms of the game with his nagging length and bounce.

The final bowling place goes to Sri Lankan lefty Chaminda Vaas who, while not particularly penetrative (only five wickets), conceded only 5.55 runs an over.

My 'fifth bowler' is a Jaya-suriya/Kemp/McMillan/Pietersen combo.

So that's: