Ben Stokes wins ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award

Babar Azam claims Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, Nat Sciver named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year

Ben Stokes has been named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year, after leading England’s stunning revival in the format. Babar Azam collected the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy awarded to the ICC’s Men’s Cricketer of the Year, while Nat Sciver won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy as Women’s Cricketer of the Year.

Stokes, who scored 870 Test runs and took 26 wickets in 2022, was also selected as captain of the Test Team of the Year. He led England to nine wins out of ten after taking charge of the team following defeat in the Caribbean in March.

“I’d like to thank the ICC, the panel and the fans for voting for me as the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year,” Stokes said. “This is down to the England players and management for what has been such a positive year in Test cricket. We have played some incredible cricket with series wins against New Zealand, South Africa, a significant performance against India and a historic victory in Pakistan.

“We are enjoying our cricket and love having fun wherever we play. The way in which we approach Test cricket is to excite the fans and making it a spectacle for everyone to get behind and enjoy regardless of the result for England.

Babar Azam wins the double

Babar was also named Men’s ODI Player of the Year, and is the second consecutive Pakistani winner of the Sobers Trophy after Shaheen Shah Afridi took home the award for 2021. Babar was the only batter to pass 2000 international runs across the three formats, averaging 54.12 with eight hundreds, and also led Pakistan to the finals of the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup.

“I feel humbled to have been voted as winner of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy and join the ranks of some of the most iconic and respected names who have previously won the biggest and most prestigious individual award in our great sport,” he said. “I continue to look up to these players as well as champions of the past for inspiration, motivation and improvement.

“As cricket is a team sport, this recognition and achievement would not have been possible without the overwhelming support of my family, team, fans and the institution, to all of whom I am greatly indebted and thankful.”

Nat Sciver also bags two awards

Sciver was also a two-time winner, picking up the Women’s ODI Player of the Year award in addition to the Heyhoe Flint Trophy, having scored 1346 runs and taken 22 wickets for England across formats – including an astonishing innings 148 not out from 121 balls in the ODI World Cup final.

“It’s lovely to have been awarded the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year, especially as Rachael was such a legend of the women’s game in England and Wales,” Sciver said.

“It’s always a privilege to be given individual honours but no personal achievements are possible without the hard work and togetherness of the whole team. Picking up a trophy or a medal is all the more special when you do it alongside your teammates so hopefully that’s what 2023 has in store.”

Other award winners included Richard Illingworth as Umpire of the Year, and Nepal wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh, who claimed the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for his refusal to run out Ireland’s Andy McBrine after a collision with the bowler. India batter Suryakumar Yadav was unveiled on Wednesday as the ICC’s T20I Cricketer of the Year.