Pat Cummins has been announced as the recipient of the ICC’s men’s player of the year award, marking a successful season for the Australian team’s captain and fast-bowler.

On Thursday evening, Cummins received the 2023 Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, beating out his teammate Travis Head and Indian players Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.

He is the first Australian to be given the accolade since Steve Smith in 2015, while Usman Khawaja also celebrated his remarkable second-coming as a Test opener to win the ICC men’s player of the year for the long form of the game.

Test and one-day skipper Cummins led the team to a World Test Championship triumph, the retention of the Ashes and a record sixth triumph in the men’s World Cup in a bumper calendar year.

His excellent batting skills in the Ashes at Edgbaston, combined with his typical success in taking wickets, were continued in the World Cup. He also demonstrated his strategic thinking by boldly electing to field first against the home team in the final.

Last year, the 30-year-old player achieved 42 Test wickets in 11 matches with an average of 27.50. So far this year, they have already earned 11 wickets in five Test innings.

“It’s definitely well-deserved, not just for the past 12 months,” teammate Mitchell Starc commented. “He has consistently performed phenomenally for a significant period of time, across all formats.”

“The captaincy as well … the way he’s led the group. Comes on to bowl at the hardest times, makes an impact.

The group’s success is largely attributed to his leadership, as he has not slowed down since 2024.

The recognition came after Australian batsman Khawaja was named the men’s Test cricketer of the year.

The opening batsman achieved a total of 1,210 runs with an average of 52.6, including three centuries and six half-centuries, in the previous year.

Khawaja excelled in all types of environments, scoring a personal record of 195 not out against South Africa in Sydney and 180 against India in Ahmedabad.

His scores of 141 and 65 in the initial Test of the Ashes series in Birmingham played a crucial role in securing a two-wicket victory for Australia.

The 37-year-old ended the Ashes series with a total of 496 runs, demonstrating his skill and determination, which played a vital role in Australia keeping the urn.

Khawaja recently informed AAP that his desire to continue playing Test cricket remains as strong as it was in his youth.

He has not specified a deadline for his retirement from red-ball cricket, unlike his friend David Warner who recently announced his retirement.

Khawaja expressed that he believes if he focused on reaching the end goal, it wouldn’t seem too far away. However, he prefers not to fixate on the finish line as it doesn’t align with his mindset.

The thought only crosses my mind when people constantly inquire about it. I understand why they ask, as I am approaching 37 years old and many people retire at that age.

“I simply enjoy playing and being physically fit. My competitive drive remains strong even as I age. I used to question if my mental motivation would ever fade.”

“I have undergone significant mental transformation in my approach to playing, but I remain just as competitive as I always have been.”

My goal is to make runs and emerge victorious in cricket matches. That remains unchanged.

Source: theguardian.com