The International Cricket Council revealed that England’s Test skipper Joe Root was declared the winner for the ICC Test cricketer of the year 2021. In a tough battle for the title, Root, who scored a mammoth 1708 runs in 15 matches with the help of six centuries, defeated India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson and Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne in the race.
Root, who hit two double centuries in the year gone by one each against Sri Lanka and India in Asian conditions and also hit 186 and 180* against both the countries as well to show his calibre and the depth of his batting. With the ball too the Englishman was handy, picking up 14 wickets in the 15 matches and it included a five-wicket haul against India in Ahmedabad as well.
Speaking after receiving the award, Root said, “I am incredibly proud to have received the award. I am very humbled to be in the same breath as a number of great players of the past. I’d like to say a massive thank you to my teammates, my family and my coaches as well as to all the supporters for the support we have had this year.”
Talking about his favourite innings, the 31-year-old said that it would have to be his double hundred against India in Chennai which also came in his 100th Test, so it will live long in his memory.