As the 2015 Cricket World Cup gathers momentum, collingwoodfc.com.au caught up with the club’s resident cricket guru Brent Macaffer.

Macaffer, a fine junior batsman in the mould of his Pakistani idol Shahid Afridi, has compiled his first choice XIs for international one-day cricket, the Collingwood playing list and his all-time favourite players.

In part three of Macaffer’s XI, he names and explains his Collingwood XI.

Brent Macaffer’s Collingwood XI
1. Adam Oxley
2. Clinton Young (captain)
3. Steele Sidebottom
4. Tim Broomhead
5. Sam Dwyer
6. Michael Manteit
7. Paul Seedsman
8. Jamie Elliott
9. Brent Macaffer (wicket keeper)
10. Ben Reid
11. Lachlan Keeffe

“It was actually pretty tough in the end,” Macaffer explains, “just trying to find 11 guys worthy of being in the side.

“In the end Youngy got the nod as skipper. He probably watches most the most cricket out of anyone here.

“Of the rest of the guys, a lot of them are all-rounders. That’s the view we’ve gone with.

“The easy guys to pick were Ox and Steele. Having seen them in the nets having a muck around they’re two of the most talented all-round sportsmen at the club and are by far and away the best we have here.

Review Part I of Macaffer's XI now.

“I played a bit of cricket over the Christmas break with Mikey Manteit. He can handle himself pretty well with the red ball.

After locking in the certainties, Macaffer and his teammates had to think a little harder about who would make up the rest of the squad.

“Keeffey and Reidy were picked as the opening bowlers just for their size. I thought they might trouble some batsmen.”

(Note: As it turns out, Reid was a right-arm paceman in his junior days.)

“I asked Jamie Elliott if he plays and he just said ‘C’mon Macca,’ so I took that as a yes.

“Same with Sam Dwyer, I got the same response.

“There’s a bit of Rahul Dravid about Sammy, in that I think he would hang around and support the rest of the batting order.

“As for myself, I would come in at the end just like ‘Boom Boom Afridi’. It might be a good knock or a first ball duck.”

In his own words, Macaffer’s junior career “wasn’t too bad”, although he says he preferred to play with his mates in the Gippsland region.

“I wasn’t too bad as a junior,” he muses.

“I got to 16-17 years old and played with mates in F Grade just so I could go out and make some runs and go the slog, that was my style, much like the guys I enjoy watching.

View Part II of Macaffer's XI, where he picks his ultimate one-day team.

“I like guys that just go out and go the tonk.

“When we played cricket game over Christmas Eve with my mates I took the gloves – I’ve had a couple of bad knees so that’s given me a chance.

“It always means you’re in the game with the banter and some sledging.”