The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced its Test and ODI Teams of the Year. Former Test stalwarts Rahul Dravid, Gary Kirsten and Kumar Sangakkara selected the sides based on players’ performances in the period from 14 September 2015 to 20 September 2016.
England’s Alastair Cook has been named as captain of the ICC Test Team of the Year, which includes four Englishmen, three Australians, and a player each from New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
This is the third time Cook has been appointed the captain of the Test side, while it the eighth time in nine years that Dale Steyn has been selected. Joe Root, David Warner and Kane Williamson have been chosen for the third successive year.
ICC Test Team of the Year 2016 (in batting order) is:
- David Warner (Australia)
- Alastair Cook (England) (captain)
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
- Joe Root (England)
- Adam Voges (Australia)
- Jonny Bairstow (England) (wicketkeeper)
- Ben Stokes (England)
- R. Ashwin (India)
- Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)
- Mitchell Starc (Australia)
- Dale Steyn (South Africa)
- Steve Smith (Australia)
It has been a case of third time lucky for Virat Kohli who has been named as captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year, which includes three Australians, Indians, South Africans each, and one each from England and West Indies. De Villiers has been selected for the sixth time since 2010, while Starc has been picked up for the third time in four years.
Starc and his team-mate Warner are the only two players to have been selected in both the Test and ODI sides in 2016.
ICC ODI Team of the Year 2016 (in batting order) is:
- David Warner (Australia)
- Quinton de Kock (South Africa) (wicketkeeper)
- Rohit Sharma (India)
- Virat Kohli (India) (captain)
- AB de Villiers (South Africa)
- Jos Buttler (England)
- Mitchell Marsh (Australia)
- Ravindra Jadeja (India)
- Mitchell Starc (Australia)
- Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
- Sunil Narine (West Indies)
- Imran Tahir (South Africa)