ICC’s special selection panel chaired by the ICC Cricket Committee chairman and former India captain Anil Kumble, on Wednesday, chose 12 international including three Pakistani players as its Test Team of the Year 2015.
Three Pakistan players, Younis Khan, wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed and leg-spinner Yasir Shah were included in the ICC’s Test side.
ICC Test Team of the Year 2015:
David Warner (Aus)
Alastair Cook (Eng) (captain)
Kane Williamson (NZ)
Younis Khan (Pak)
Steven Smith (Aus)
Joe Root (Eng)
Sarfraz Ahmed (Pak) (wicketkeeper)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Trent Boult (NZ)
Yasir Shah (Pak)
Josh Hazlewood (Aus)
12th: Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind)
Alastair Cook has been named as the captain of the side that includes three Englishmen in Stuart Broad and Joe Root. This is the fifth time since 2009 that Broad has been selected in the ICC Test Team of the Year having previously been included in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014. For Cook, this is his fourth selection and his second as captain having achieved that feat in 2013.
Steven Smith is one of three Australian players selected alongside opener David Warner, for the second successive year, and pace bowler Josh Hazlewood. There are also three Pakistan players in the panel; Younis Khan, wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed and leg-spinner Yasir Shah.
New Zealand duo Trent Boult and Kane Williamson make up the starting team, with India’s Ravichandran Ashwin named as 12th man.
The Chairman of the ICC Awards Selection Panel, Anil Kumble, said: “I would like to congratulate all the players for their selection in the Test and ODI teams of the year. It is an achievement for each of them to be proud of and a recognition for their good performances in the qualifying period.
“Team selection is one of the toughest jobs and when you have a large pool of outstanding players to select from in a 12-month period then it becomes even more difficult. It was a particularly busy year, with a series of stellar performances throughout the Test and ODI formats, not least in a hugely successful ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which has greatly enhanced the popularity and profile of the game internationally.
“Testament to the quality of cricket played is the calibre of players to have missed out on selection. While selecting these squads, the selectors considered various combinations and took into account several factors in overall performances. Congratulations to all of the players on their selections.”