Mumbai: Seasoned India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was on Tuesday shortlisted as one of the four nominees for the ICC Test Cricketer of the year award.
The 35-year-old from Chennai snapped 52 wickets from eight Tests at an average of 16.23 and also contributed 337 runs with the bat at 28.08 with one century in the last one year.
Besides Ashwin, England skipper Joe Root, New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson and Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne were the others to be nominated for the prestigious award, which recognise the outstanding achievements and feats in cricket over the past year.
The winner of the award will be announced on January 24.
”One of India’s greatest match-winners in the longest format, R Ashwin again asserted his authority as one of the world’s finest spinners in 2021. Apart from his wizardry with the ball, Ashwin also made invaluable contributions with the bat,” the ICC said in a release.
Ashwin started the year on a high, scoring a patient 128-ball 29 against Australia in the Sydney Test. His partnership with Hanuma Vihari helped India achieve a memorable draw that kept the series level at 1-1. At home against England, Ashwin was adjudged the Player of the Series after he claimed 32 wickets from four matches at 14.72, while also contributing 189 runs with the bat.
The off-spinner had also picked up four wickets in the ICC World Test Championship Final against New Zealand on a seam-friendly wicket in Southampton. After sitting out of all four Tests in England, Ashwin shone bright in the home series against New Zealand, winning another Player of the Series award after picking up 14 wickets in two matches at 11.36 while also chipping in with a couple of handy knocks in the Kanpur Test.
The ICC Awards will comprise a total of 13 individual recognitions in all, as well as five Team of the Year announcements for each format across both men’s and women’s cricket.