The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday released the nominations for Men’s Test Player of the Year 2021, which features Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne.
Apart from him, England captain Joe Root, New Zealand all-rounder Kyle Jamieson, India spinner R Ashwin also featured in the list.
Ashwin bagged 52 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 16.23 while scoring 337 runs at 28.08 with one century in Chennai against England. New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson scalped 27 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 17.51, making him the third nominee. Jamieson played a key role in New Zealand’s triumph in the World Test Championship final against India, completing a five-wicket haul in the first innings and picking a couple of them in the second.
The nomination is the Sri Lanka Test skipper Karunaratne, who scored 902 runs in 7 matches at 69.38 with 4 centuries. A brilliant century in Johannesburg against South Africa, two centuries against Bangladesh in two matches in Pallekele, including a double ton, and a brilliant century against West Indies in Galle were some of the highlights from another stunning year for Karunaratne.
Meanwhile Joe Root, who’s England team aren’t in the best of form in Australia, has scored 1708 runs in 15 matches and is only the third to score more than 1700 runs in a calendar year behind Mohammad Yousuf and Sir Vivian Richards.
This year’s awards will comprise a total of 13 individual awards in all, as well as five Team of the Year announcements for each format across both men’s and women’s cricket.
The individual award categories are:
– Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year
– Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year
– ICC Spirit of Cricket Award
– ICC Umpire of the Year
The official ICC Team of the Years are set to be announced on 17 and 18 January. The individual awards pertaining to women’s cricket will be announced on 23 January. The men’s awards, as well as the Spirit of Cricket and Umpire of the Year award, will be announced on 24 January.
