Cook named as captain of ICC team of year

1.1950374-26176687 — England's cricket captain Alastair Cook plays a shot during the fifth day of the fifth and final Test cricket match between India and England at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday. Image Credit: AFP

London: Alastair Cook was on Thursday named as captain of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test team of the year despite speculation over his future as England skipper.

Cook, who has led England to only one win in their last eight matches, was selected to head the ICC side picked by former Test greats Rahul Dravid, Gary Kirsten and Kumar Sangakkara for the sport’s world governing body.

The trio based their decisions on player performances between September 14, 2015 and September 20, 2016, a period not covering England’s 4-0 drubbing to India, Cook’s fourth straight loss as captain.

Cook’s England lost a three-Test series 2-0 to Pakistan in October 2015. Overall in the period he led England in 14 matches, with six wins, three draws and five losses.

He has been picked alongside Joe Root, wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes.

Root has become the focal point of the batting order in recent years and averages 52.80 in his Test career while Yorkshire team-mate Bairstow broke a 16-year record for the most Test runs in a calendar year by a wicketkeeper in 2016.

Stokes’ performances with bat and ball have helped him to establish himself as England’s first-choice all-rounder.

There was no place in the XI for India skipper Virat Kohli, who sits second in the ICC Test batting rankings, while number one batsman in the world and Australia captain Steve Smith is the 12th man in the squad.

Opener David Warner, Adam Voges and Mitchell Starc are the three Australians chosen by the committee, with Kane Williamson picked from New Zealand.

Spinner Ravi Ashwin, who helped India to a 4-0 victory over England, is India’s sole representative while Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and seamer Dale Steyn of South Africa complete the line-up.

The ICC also announced that Ashwin had been voted as its Cricketer of the Year for 2016.

South Africa’s wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock was named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year. He is the second South Africa player after AB de Villiers (2010, 2014 and 2015) and ninth overall to clinch the award.

In the voting period, de Kock scored 793 runs in 16 ODIs with four centuries and a half-century. He averaged over 56 and held a strike-rate of just under 98. With the gloves, de Kock dismissed 15 batsmen behind the wickets.

A happy de Kock said: “It’s great to hear that I’ve been named as the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year. To be named as the best from among so many good cricketers gives one utmost satisfaction.

“This award obviously rewards consistent performances at the top level and I’m happy to have done well for my team over this period. To join a select group of players that include my senior AB de Villiers makes this a special moment, one that I’ll cherish for long. I thank the ICC for selecting me for this award and to my team-members and support staff for all their help and support.”

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman won the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award. In the period under consideration, Mustafizur played three ODIs and took eight wickets, while he yielded 19 wickets in 10 T20Is. He is the first Bangladesh cricketer to win an annual ICC award.

Mustafizur commented: “This award is the best gift of the year for me and will encourage me to do even better in the coming years. I’m delighted and proud to win this award, especially since it’s the first time that a Bangladesh player has won an ICC award.

“To play international cricket is the dream for every budding cricketer and it has indeed been a dream come true for me too. I want to thank everyone who has supported me over the years and promise to give my best at every opportunity.”

The full list of ICC Award 2016 winners is:

ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) – Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

ICC Test Cricketer of the Year – Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year – Quinton de Kock (South Africa)

ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year – Suzie Bates (New Zealand)

ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year – Suzie Bates (New Zealand)

ICC T20I Performance of the Year – Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies ) (34 not out, 10 balls, 1x4, 4x6, ICC WT20 India 2016 final v England, Kolkata)

ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year – Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)

ICC Associate/Affiliate Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan)

ICC Spirit of Cricket Award – Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan)

ICC Umpire of the Year (David Shepherd Trophy) – Marais Erasmus

ICC Men’s Teams of the Year 2016 (in batting order, selected by Rahul Dravid, Gary Kirsten and Kumar Sangakkara based on players’ performance in the period from 14 September 2015 to 20 September 2016):

ICC Test Team of the Year 2016 ICC ODI Team of the Year 2016

1. David Warner (Aus) 1. David Warner (Aus)

2. Alastair Cook (Eng) (captain) 2. Quinton de Kock (SA)

3. Kane Williamson (NZ) 3. Rohit Sharma (Ind)

4. Joe Root (Eng) 4. Virat Kohli (Ind) (captain)

5. Adam Vogues (Aus) 5. AB de Villiers (SA)

6. Jonny Bairstow (Eng) (wicketkeeper) 6. Jos Buttler (Eng)

7. Ben Stokes (Eng) 7. Mitchell Marsh (Aus)

8. R. Ashwin (Ind) 8. Ravindra Jadeja (Ind)

9. Rangana Herath (SL) 9. Mitchell Starc (Aus)

10. Mitchell Starc (Aus) 10. Kagiso Rabada (SA)

11. Dale Steyn (SA) 11. Sunil Narine (WI)