ICC Test XI of the Year 2015 announced; Alastair Cook named captain

Kane Williamson gets into the Test team of the year at No.3

The ICC today announced its Test and ODI Teams of the Year, as chosen by a specially appointed selection panel headed by the ICC’s Cricket Committee chairman and former India captain Anil Kumble.

The qualification period ran from September 18th 2014 to September 13th 2015 and the selection panel included past greats of the world game including former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop, ex England batsman Mark Butcher, former Australia women’s captain Belinda Clark and Mr. G. Viswanath, Deputy Editor of The Hindu & Sportstar.

The winners of the individual awards will be announced later this month.

ICC Test Team of the Year 2015 (in batting order):

1. David Warner (Aus)

2. Alastair Cook (Eng) (captain)

3. Kane Williamson (NZ)

4. Younis Khan (Pak)

5. Steven Smith (Aus)

6. Joe Root (Eng)

7. Sarfraz Ahmed (Pak) (wicketkeeper)

8. Stuart Broad (Eng)

9. Trent Boult (NZ)

10. Yasir Shah (Pak)

11. Josh Hazlewood (Aus)

12th: Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind)

Alastair Cook has been named as the captain of the side that also 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.

South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh do not have any player featuring in the Test team of the year.

Ravi Ashwin, the highest wicket-taker in Tests for 2015, has reason to feel hard done on missing out on a spot in the XI, losing out to Yasir Shah for the lone spinner’s slot. Broad, Boult and Hazlewood make up the pace trio of this imaginary team.

Here's the @ICC Test Match Team of the Year in full https://t.co/sLDINHlTe3 pic.twitter.com/H27VdEvnvW

— ICC (@ICC) December 2, 2015

Joe Root and Stuart Broad named in ICC Test team of the year but still not good enough to make SPOTY shortlist.

— Ben Rumsby (@ben_rumsby) December 2, 2015