- Ben Stokes named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for 2022.
- He led England to nine wins from ten Tests since taking over as captain.
- He scored 870 runs and grabbed 26 wickets at an average of 31.19 last year.
Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, has been awarded the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for 2022.
In order to earn the prized honour, Stokes outclassed his rivals on the list. He had a strong year in the longest format, leading his team to nine victories from ten games after he became the captaincy in mid-2022.
Leading from the front with an inspirational team 🙌
ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for 2022, Ben Stokes 👏#LoveLords | #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/pEkfbnJynF
— Lord’s Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) January 26, 2023
“One player defined the year of Test cricket more than any other in 2022 and is the clear and worthy winner of the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year,” the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced in a media statement on Thursday.
With competition from fellow Englishman Jonny Bairstow, Australia’s red-ball run machine Usman Khawaja, and South Africa’s fierce pacer Kagiso Rabada, Stokes stood out for his meteoric rise as the saviour of the English Test side and a modern-day attacking approach – dubbed Bazball – that he injected into the game’s oldest format with the help of head coach Brendon McCullum.
Aside from his incredible journey as a team leader, the all-rounder scored 870 runs at an average of 36.25 and grabbed 26 wickets at an average of 31.19 last year. During this time, he also accumulated two centuries.
“Since taking over as England captain, Stokes has led the team to nine wins from ten Tests, including series victories over New Zealand and South Africa at home, a one-off postponed Test victory over India to level the series at 2-2, and a 3-0 thrashing of Pakistan away from home – England’s best ever margin of victory in the country.”
“Prior to his appointment as captain, England had been defeated in all four of their most recent completed series, and had won only one of their previous 17 Tests.”
Stokes was also named captain of the ICC Test Team of the Year, which was announced earlier on Tuesday.
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