Winning the ICC Cricketer of the Year award is the dream of every player who starts playing the sport professionally. However, it is not everyone’s cup of tea because it requires a huge amount of dedication and hard work. Every year, the International Cricket Council awards the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year to the best performer.
The first player to win this award was former Indian captain Rahul Dravid. Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi bagged the prize in 2021. In this article today, we will look a strong XI of players to have won the Cricketer of the Year award.
Openers – Sachin Tendulkar and Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Former Indian opener Sachin Tendulkar will start the innings for this team along with West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Tendulkar won this award in the year 2010, whereas Chanderpaul took the award home in 2008.
Middle Order – Virat Kohli, Ricky Ponting (c) and Rahul Dravid (WK)
The star-studded middle-order comprises former Indian cricket team captains Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid along with former Australian cricket team captain Ricky Ponting. Kohli won the award in 2017 and 2018, while Ponting did it in 2007 and 2008. Dravid was the first person to win the award in 2004.
All Rounders – Jacques Kallis, Ben Stokes and Andrew Flintoff
The three all-rounders of the team will be Jacques Kallis, Ben Stokes and Andrew Flintoff. All three are pace-bowling all-rounders. Kallis and Flintoff jointly received the award in 2005, while Stokes won it in 2019.
Bowlers – Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Johnson and Shaheen Shah Afridi
The trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Johnson and Shaheen Shah Afridi completes the XI. Ashwin will lead the spin attack, having won the Cricketer of the Year award in 2016. Johnson and Afridi will spearhead the fast-bowling attack. Afridi won the prize in 2021, while Johnson won it twice in 2014 and 2009.
