Ben Stokes announced as ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2022

After being named the captain of the ICC Test team of the Year, Ben Stokes has won the Test Cricketer of the Year award as well.

The England all-rounder spearheaded the Test side's resurgence after succeeding Joe Root as captain and performed equally well personally. Stokes, who has been England's premier all-rounder for a long time, had a productive year.

In 15 Tests, the star cricketer hammered 870 runs at 36.25 and chipped in with 26 wickets at 31.19. However, his value went well beyond solely as a player, given how the 31-year-old changed his team's ethos in Test cricket, encouraging the players to play aggressively.

Since taking over as captain, the talismanic all-rounder has led England to nine wins in ten Tests. England's scoring rate of 4.13 across 15 Tests in 2022 has been the second-highest since Australia's in 1910. In the matches Stokes led, England's scoring rate was a game-changing 4.77 per over.

Amongst Stokes' individual performances, his 103 against South Africa in Manchester stood out, given it came under desperate circumstances. Although the hosts bowled out the Proteas for 151 in the first innings, the game stood at a knife's edge, with England at 147-5.

The captain joined hands with Ben Foakes to add 173 and give England a lead of 264. The home side came up with another fiery bowling performance to script an innings win.

The aggressive cricket was on display against India at Edgbaston when England scaled their highest successful run-chase in the format. The side chased down 378 in the fourth innings against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja.

The home side kept a scoring rate of 4.93 in that innings to win by seven wickets after unbeaten centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root.

Ben Stokes became the first captain to inflict a clean sweep Pakistan at home

England cricket team. (Image Credits: Getty)

England's prowess was on display when they embarked on their first tour of Pakistan in 17 years. The first day of the opening Test in Rawalpindi saw the visitors slam a record-breaking 506-4. On the back of some smart captaincy decisions from Stokes, England forced a win on the final day.

England won the second Test in Multan in a similar fashion as Mark Wood's relentless bowling sealed the deal. The visitors whitewashed Pakistan in Karachi after chasing a modest 166 with seven wickets to spare.