ICC ODI XI of the Year 2015 announced; Mohammed Shami lone Indian representative
The ICC today announced its Test and ODI Teams of the Year, as chosen by a specially appointed selection panel headed by the ICC’s Cricket Committee chairman and former India captain Anil Kumble.
The qualification period ran from September 18th 2014 to September 13th 2015 and the selection panel included past greats of the world game including former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop, ex England batsman Mark Butcher, former Australia women’s captain Belinda Clark and Mr. G. Viswanath, Deputy Editor of The Hindu & Sportstar.
The winners of the individual awards will be announced later this month.
ICC ODI Team of the Year 2015 (in batting order):
1. Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL)
2. Hashim Amla (SA)
3. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) (wicketkeeper)
4. AB de Villiers (SA) (captain)
5. Steven Smith (Aus)
6. Ross Taylor (NZ)
7. Trent Boult (NZ)
8. Mohammed Shami (Ind)
9. Mitchell Starc (Aus)
10. Mustafizur Rahman (Bang)
11. Imran Tahir (SA)
12th: Joe Root (Eng)
South Africa’s AB de Villiers, gets selected in the ODI Team of the Year for the fourth time in five years and for the first time as captain. He is one of three Proteas players selected alongside Hashim Amla (also selected in 2013) and Imran Tahir.
Kumar Sangakarra, who recently retired from international cricket, has been selected as wicket-keeper and earns his fourth nomination (2011, 2012 and 2013) and is named alongside Sri Lanka team-mate Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was also selected in 2009, 2011 and 2013. Steven Smith earns his inaugural ODI nomination after playing a leading role in helping Australia seal its fifth ICC Cricket World Cup and is named alongside the player of the tournament Mitchell Starc.
Trent Boult gains his debut nomination in the ODI Team of the Year alongside his New Zealand team-mate Ross Taylor.
First ever Bangladesh player to be selected in ODI team of the year
Bangladesh’s 20-year-old left-arm pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who burst onto the scene over the last year has become the first ever player from his country to make the ODI Team of the Year (Shakib Al Hasan having been previously named in the 2009 Test Team of the Year), which is indicative of Bangladesh’s progress over the last 18 months. He is joined by India’s Mohammed Shami, who also made the 2014 team.
The Chairman of the ICC Awards Selection Panel, Anil Kumble, said: “I would like to congratulate all the players for their selection in the Test and ODI teams of the year. It is an achievement for each of them to be proud of and a recognition for their good performances in the qualifying period.
“Team selection is one of the toughest jobs and when you have a large pool of outstanding players to select from in a 12-month period then it becomes even more difficult. It was a particularly busy year, with a series of stellar performances throughout the Test and ODI formats, not least in a hugely successful ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which has greatly enhanced the popularity and profile of the game internationally.
“Testament to the quality of cricket played is the calibre of players to have missed out on selection. While selecting these squads, the selectors considered various combinations and took into account several factors in overall performances. Congratulations to all of the players on their selections.”