The Commonwealth XI cricket team played over 100 first-class cricket matches from 1949 to 1968. The team started out as a side made up of mostly English, Australian and West Indian cricketers, that toured the subcontinent but later on played first-class fixtures in England. They also toured South Africa and Rhodesia.
The Commonwealth team, captained by Jock Livingston, played 17 first-class matches in India and two each in Ceylon and Pakistan.
Les Ames, another Englishman, led the team on this occasion and they appeared in 25 first-class matches in India as well as two in Ceylon.
Australian Ben Barnett captained the Commonwealth XI on this tour of India which consisted of 22 first-class matches.
Peter Richardson's Commonwealth team played just one first-class match in India, against the Bengal Chief Minister's XI, but toured Pakistan for 14 first-class matches.
A Commonwealth side toured Pakistan under the captaincy of Richie Benaud. Roger Prideaux and Tony Lewis captained the team in some matches.
In October 1959, the Commonwealth XI played three first-class matches in South Africa[1] and in a tour of Rhodesia in September, 1962, they played a further two.[2]
All other matches played by the Commonwealth team were in England and mostly against a side called the England XI. The only exceptions were matches against the touring Indians in 1952[3] and Essex in 1953.[4]