DUBAI: Australia captain Steve Smith has been named ICC Cricketer of the Year for 2015, the sport’s Dubai-based governing body revealed on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old finished the year, which runs from September to September, as the leading Test run-scorer with 1,734 runs from 25 innings, averaging 82.57.

He also became the second youngest player to reach the number one ranking for Test batsmen behind Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar.

Josh Hazlewood named Emerging Cricketer

Smith thus became the fourth Australian to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in its 12th edition, following in the footsteps of Ricky Ponting (2006 and 2007), Mitchell Johnson (2009 and 2014) and Michael Clarke (2013).

He was also adjudged the Test cricketer of the year, although while he was part of the Australia team that won the 50-overs-a-side World Cup, he captained his country in their Ashes defeat to England.

“Given that there are so many great players around the world, I’m incredibly honoured to receive these awards,” said Smith in a statement released by the International Cricket Council.

“While team success is always my number-one motivation, awards like this are very special. I’m thrilled and very proud to receive them.

“I will look back on 2015 with mixed feelings. Winning the ICC World Cup at home was a career highlight, and being appointed captain is a great honour, but the disappointment of losing the Ashes remains,” Smith added.

South Africa’s ODI captain A.B. de Villiers was named ODI player of the year while his team-mate and T20I captain Faf du Plessis won the award for the T20 performance of the year for his 56-ball 119 against the West Indies in Johannesburg in January.

De Villiers scored 1,265 runs in 20 innings averaging just over 79.

But it was his record-breaking efforts against the West Indies, also in Johannesburg in January, in the second ODI that earnt him the honour.

De Villiers broke the record for the fastest ODI century of all time, managing the feat off just 31 balls, five fewer than previous record-holder Corey Anderson of New Zealand.

Like Smith, though, De Villiers had mixed feelings about his season.

“It’s certainly been a memorable year with many highlights but a lot of disappointments as well,” he said. “If I was to look back, the century I scored against the West Indies at the Wanderers will probably go down as the most memorable knocks of the year.

“In saying that, centuries count for nothing if the team isn’t winning, so hopefully in the future I can contribute to many more Proteas wins.”

New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, who has announced he will retire from international cricket in February, was given the Spirit of Cricket award, for “inspiring his side to play the game in its true spirit”.

McCullum said his team-mates deserved as much recognition for buying into his sportsmanlike vision of cricket.

“The team has loved how the New Zealand public and cricket fans from around the world have responded to the way we’ve played our cricket in the last 12 months,” McCullum said.

“I think the Spirit of Cricket is hugely important and I feel extremely honoured to have received the award. It does take buy in from the entire team though and the rest of the Black Caps squad needs to be recognised for this as well.”

Former UAE captain Khurram Khan was named Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year, while Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood was named the Emerging Cricketer of the Year.

England’s Richard Kettleborough got the Umpire of the Year award for the third straight year.

Australia’s women captain Meg Lanning won the women’s ODI cricketer of the year award with Stafanie Taylor of West Indies taking the T20I honour.

Awards:

ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy): Steven Smith

Test Cricketer of the Year: Steven Smith

ODI Cricketer of the Year: A.B. de Villiers

Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Meg Lanning

Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year: Stafanie Taylor

T20I Performance of the Year: Faf du Plessis

Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Josh Hazlewood

Associate/Affiliate Cricketer of the Year: Khurram Khan

Spirit of Cricket Award: Brendon McCullum

Umpire of the Year (David Shepherd Trophy): Richard Kettleborough.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2015