Mitchell Johnson named ICC Cricketer of the Year; AB de Villiers wins ODI Cricketer of the Year
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has been announced as the winner of the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year, in addition to being named the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year.
The Top Award of ICC Cricketer of the Year for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy goes to @MitchJohnson398 #LGICCAwards pic.twitter.com/A8WfwGFGQx
— ICC (@ICC) November 14, 2014
During the period of voting between 26 August, 2013, and 17 September, 2014, Johnson took a staggering 59 Test wickets at an exceptional average of 15.23, including 7/40 against England in the 2nd Ashes Test at Adelaide last year. In ODI cricket, meanwhile, he claimed 21 wickets from 16 games.
This is the second time that Johnson has claimed the top honour, making him only the second cricketer after Ricky Ponting, who won it consecutively in 2006 and 2007, to do so.
Talking about being recognized for his phenomenal 12 months or so, Johnson said: “Some of the greats of the game have been nominated and won this award and it’s a very special honour.
“Aggressive fast bowlers are something you’d have seen back in the day with the likes of (Dennis) Lillee and (Jeff) Thomson. For me, it’s nice to be able to contribute to the team and do the job that I’ve always thought I’ve been able to do. I suppose it comes down to the attitude I’ve got, the belief and the confidence. I’m very happy with where I am at the moment and I want to keep getting better as a cricketer.
“This is something that I’ll be able to look back on in time when my career is over and be exceptionally proud of. I want to thank everyone for their support, especially my team-mates, support staff and my family for everything they’ve done for me. I wouldn’t be sitting here today without them.”
Johnson was also named in the ICC Test Team of the Year, which was announced along with the ODI Team of the Year on November 5.
South African star AB de Villiers, meanwhile, has won the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year, with Australia’s Aaron Finch winning the T20 International Performance of the Year for his blazing innings of 156 off 63 deliveries against England last year, and Gary Ballance claiming the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year..
Full list of awards
| Award | Player |
|---|---|
| ICC Cricketer of the Year | Mitchell Johnson (AUS) |
| ICC Test Cricketer of the Year | Mitchell Johnson (AUS) |
| ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year | AB de Villiers (SA) |
| ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year | Gary Ballance (ENG) |
| ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year | Preston Mommsen (SCO) |
| ICC T20I Performance of the Year | Aaron Finch (AUS) |
| ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year | Sarah Taylor (ENG) |
| ICC T20I Women’s Cricketer of the Year | Meg Lanning (AUS) |
| ICC Spirit of Cricket Award | Katherine Brunt (ENG) |
| ICC Umpire of the Year | Richard Kettleborough (ENG) |
| LG People’s Choice | Bhuvneshwar Kumar (IND) |