Ashwin is the third Indian cricketer to win the Cricketer of the Year award after Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin capped off his fantastic year by being crowned the ICC Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year.
Ashwin currently sits at the summit of the ICC Test bowlers rankings and ICC Test all-rounders standings as a result of the impact he has had with both the bat and ball.
In the ICC’s voting period, which was based on Ashwin’s performance between September 2015 to September 2016, the 30-year-old took 48 wickets and scored 336 runs in eight Tests. He also picked up 27 wickets in 19 Twenty20 Internationals.
To put things into perspective, Ashwin has claimed 72 wickets in 12 Tests this year and became the second-fastest bowler in history to snap up 200 Test wickets in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur in September.
“It’s a bit overwhelming and it is yet to sink in completely,” Ashwin said. “At the same time I was expecting to land one but to end up with two awards was extremely special. To be bracketed alongside Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar is indeed a matter of great pride.
“I want to dedicate this award to my family who have been a pillar of strength. And not to forget all my team-mates and coach Anil Kumble who push me to give my best with their support and guidance.”
Meanwhile, South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock was named ODI Player of the Year for amassing 793 runs in 16 ODIs during the voting period.
Since September 2015 to today, De Kock has accumulated an incredible 1175 runs, which includes five centuries and three fifties, in 22 ODIs.
As for the T20 Performance of the Year, West Indies Twenty20 captain Carlos Brathwaite won the award for slamming four consecutive sixes in the final over to lead his side to an unlikely victory over England in the World Twenty20 final in April.
Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman clinched the Emerging Cricketer of the Year award for taking eight ODI wickets and 19 Twenty20 International wickets in the voting period.
Elsewhere, Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad was named Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year, while New Zealand’s Suzie Bates won the Women’s ODI and Twenty20 International Player-of-the-Year awards.
Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq claimed the Spirit of Cricket award, while Marais Erasmus was adjudged Umpire of the Year.
ICC Test Team of the Year 2016: 1 David Warner, 2 Alastair Cook (capt), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Joe Root, 5 Adam Voges, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Ben Stokes, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Dale Steyn, 12 Steven Smith
ICC ODI Team of the Year 2016: 1 David Warner, 2 Quinton de Kock, 3 Rohit Sharma, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Mitchell Marsh, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Sunil Narine, 12 Imran Tahir