Countdown to the 2016 Sportskeeda cricketer of the year: Part 2

Talismanic skipper and talismanic MVP

Smith was a consistent scorer in all formats

#9 Steve Smith

Australia’s skipper had a great year with the bat despite his side’s poor performances during which they lost a home series against South Africa and faced the ignominy of a whitewash in Sri Lanka.

Smith scored 1014 runs in just 11 Tests at 67.60 with 4 centuries and 5 half-centuries. With 3 centuries and 7 half-centuries (joint most), Smith is also the second highest run-getter in ODIs with 1154 runs in 25 ODI innings at 50.17 apiece, only behind teammate David Warner’s tally.

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#8 Ben Stokes

Stokes can make it to the England side as a pure batsman, having scored 904 runs in just 21 innings at 45.20, 8^th highest in Tests this calendar year. He has the second highest strike-rate behind David Warner amongst the top 25 run-getters this year.

Stokes managed 3 half-centuries and 2 centuries, one of them a record-smashing double ton in South Africa. In 12 Tests, the 25-year-old also picked up 33 wickets at 25.81, enough to get him into the team as a pure bowler, the mark of a true all-rounder.

In ODIs, the Durham man scored 490 runs in just 12 innings at 49 with a strike-rate of 105.6. He was one of England’s few bright spots in their disastrous tour of India.