India’s peerless fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was on Monday nominated for the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award along with England duo Joe Root and Harry Brook and Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis. Bumrah is the best bowler in Test cricket in 2024, taking 71 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 14.92 and strike rate of 30.16, the best figures among all bowlers in the traditional format. The right-arm pacer has also been the best bowler in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, taking 30 wickets in just four Tests Down Under.
“Bumrah, who returned to the Test arena after recovering from a recurring back injury in 2023, dominated the bowling charts in 2024. Appearing across 13 Tests during the year, Bumrah took 71 wickets, his highest ever annual tally, to lead the year “He has more Test wickets than any other,” the ICC said on its website.
“Whether it was the conditions conducive to pace in South Africa and Australia or the tougher conditions at home for his speed, Bumrah was equally impressive throughout the year, but it was India’s tour of Australia where the pace spearhead produced his masterpiece. ” Added.
The ICC judged Bumrah’s match-defining spell in Perth where he guided India to a 295-run win among his most memorable performances.
England’s mainstay Root has been the most dominant batsman of the year, scoring 1,556 runs at 55.57 in 17 Tests. The 34-year-old topped 1,000 runs in a year for the fifth time in his career, with six tons and 500 runs.
The ICC said: “Across 17 Tests, Joe Root has compiled his second-best annual total in Tests – second only to his 1,708 runs in 2021. This is also Root’s fifth to have scored over 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year. Case in point as well ” “With six Test hundreds along with five half-centuries, Root has been a consistent performer for England with his impressive runs with the bat, both at home and away. He accumulated the joint-5th highest tones in tests (36).” Added.
The ICC recalled Root’s best score of 262 against Pakistan in Multan and also his sixth double century in Tests as one of his best efforts.
Root’s compatriot Brook is included in the four-man reserve list after scoring 1,100 runs at 55.00 in 12 Tests along with four centuries and three fifties.
Brook ranks fourth in the 2024 top scorers list behind table-topper Root, India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal (1,478 points, 54.74 points) and England’s Ben Duckett (1,149 points, 37.06 points).
“Harry Brook, the standard bearer of England’s rapid-fire brand of batting, has emerged as a groundbreaking performer in the longest format,” the ICC said.
He added, “A notable feature of his performance is that most of his scores (723 points) came at home while playing the same number of games as England (6 games).”
The ICC said Brook’s “fierce” 317 off 322 deliveries was one of his best performances.
Sri Lanka’s Mendis, who has scored 1,049 runs in nine Tests at 74.92, also features in the list after an excellent year. During this period he became the joint third-fastest player to reach 1000 Test runs, equaling Sir Don Bradman’s record of 13 innings. Milestone.
“Mendis has the highest average of any batsman who has played more than two Tests in the year, a staggering 74.92 from nine matches,” the ICC said.
“His performance with the bat helped Sri Lanka qualify for the final of the ICC World Test Championship for the first time with wins over New Zealand, England and Bangladesh,” he added.
Mendis’ twin centuries against New Zealand at home helped him finish as the fifth-highest run-scorer of the year, with the ICC calling it his most “memorable performance”. PTI DDV DDV ah ah
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