3 reasons why Travis Head and not Pat Cummins should have won ICC Cricketer of the Year

Australian skipper Pat Cummins was named ICC Cricketer of the Year 2023. He won the award ahead of his teammate Travis Head and the other two nominees - Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.

Cummins had an incredible 2023 both as a captain and a player. He played a vital role in leading Australia to the WTC and the 2023 World Cup titles. Australia also retained the 2023 Ashes in England under the able leadership of Pat Cummins.

Travis Head was also exceptional in 2023 and a key architect in many victories for the Aussies.

Here is a look at three reasons why Travis Head deserved to win the ICC Cricketer of the Year award ahead of Pat Cummins.

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#1. Scoring big in semifinals and finals of ICC tournaments

Travis Head scored a brilliant century (163) against India in the WTC final at the Oval. He added 288 runs with Steve Smith for the fourth wicket and guided Australia to a score of 469 in the first innings.

Australia won the final by 209 runs and Head was named Man of the Match.

Head followed up his century in the WTC final by scoring a half-century in the semifinals of the 2023 World Cup against South Africa. A target of 215 was a challenging one on a tricky Eden Gardens surface and Australia lost two wickets within the first eight overs.

Head, however, steadied the ship and played an attacking knock of 62 from just 48 balls, shifting the momentum in Australia's favour. Australia subsequently won the game by three wickets and Head was named Man of the Match for his impactful knock.

Head reserved his best for the final against India in Ahmedabad. In front of a capacity crowd, Head single-handedly won the game for his side, scoring 137 runs from 120 balls and helping Australia win yet another ICC trophy.

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#2. Consistent in all 3 formats

Head tasted success in all three formats in 2023. He scored 209 runs in six T20I innings in 2023, averaging 34.83 with an astounding strike rate of 174.17. All six T20Is were played away from home - three in South Africa and three in India.

In ODIs last year, Head scored 570 runs from 13 innings at an average of 51.82. The most notable aspect of his ODI record in 2023 is his exceptional strike rate of 133.18. He also has two centuries, including the big one against India in the 2023 World Cup final, and three half-centuries.

In Tests in 2023, Head was the third-highest scorer in the format with 919 runs. He averaged a healthy 41.77 in the Tests in 2023 and notched a century and five half-centuries. He also had a strike rate of 75.58 in Tests in 2023.

Thus, Head was consistent in all three formats in 2023, maintaining a healthy average and an exceptional strike rate.

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#3. Pat Cummins did not taste much success in ODIs and did not play a single T20I in 2023

Pat Cummins, though exceptional as a leader in 2023, did not taste much success with the ball in ODIs. In 13 ODIs in 2023, he picked up 17 wickets at an ordinary average of 36.35, which is way above his career average of 28.67. He had an economy rate of 5.75, which also is above his career economy rate in ODIs.

Cummins did not play a single T20I in 2023.

As far as Test cricket is concerned, Cummins was exceptional in 2023 and picked up 42 wickets from 11 Tests.

To be awarded the ICC Cricketer of the Year, a player has to excel in all three formats, which Head did. Cummins, however, was ordinary with the ball in ODIs and did not play the shortest format.

Thus, Head would have been a better choice than Cummins for the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2023.