Ben Stokes has been named men’s cricketer of the year in the International Cricket Council’s 2019 awards.
Stokes’ compelling performances underpinned England’s first World Cup win on home soil, not least his never-say-die innings in the dramatic Lord’s final, and his unforgettable match-winning 135 not out in the Ashes Test at Headingley was an instant classic.
Accepting the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, voted for by a panel of the media representatives and former players, Stokes said: “The past 12 months have been incredible for England cricket and to lift the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup for the first time was our greatest achievement.
“I’m surprised that I have got it, after many years of being under the scanner for the wrong things,” he said.
“It is part of camaraderie that sportsmen must have with each other. You can sledge, can have have banter on the field, you say things to the opposition in wanting to beat them. But booing someone is not in the spirit of any sport, I don’t endorse it.”
ICC Test Team of the Year: M Agarwal (Ind), T Latham, (NZ), M Labuschagne (Aus), V Kohli (Ind,c), S Smith (Aus), B Stokes (Eng), BJ Watling (NZ, wkt), P Cummins (Aus), M Starc (Aus), N Wagner (NZ), N Lyon (Aus).
ICC ODI Team of the Year: R Sharma (Ind), S Hope (WI), V Kohli (Ind, c), B Azam (Pak), K Williamson (NZ), B Stokes (Eng), J Buttler (Eng, wkt), M Starc (Aus), T Boult (NZ), M Shami (Ind), K Yadav (Ind).
