Indian players failed to make a mark as Australians and South Africans swept the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Annual Awards with Steve Smith clinching the coveted trophies of Cricketer of the Year and the Test Cricketer of the Year.
Smith became the fourth Australian and 11th overall to win the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after being named as the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2015. Smith follows in the footsteps of Ricky Ponting (2006 and 2007), Mitchell Johnson (2009 and 2014) and Michael Clarke (2013) to lift the coveted trophy.
The top-order batsman was also adjudged the Test Cricketer of the Year, which has made him only the seventh cricketer to bag the two coveted prizes in the same year.
South Africa’s ODI captain AB de Villiers was named the ODI Cricketer of the Year for the second time in a row.
During the voting period, which ran from September 18 2014 to September 13 2015, the 26-year-old Smith finished as the leading run-scorer in Tests with 1,734 runs in 13 matches at an average of 82.57.
This included seven centuries and six half-centuries. In 26 One-Dayers, Smith scored 1,249 runs at an average of just under 60 with four centuries. He was a member of the World Cup winning Australia side in 2015.
A delighted Smith said: “Given that there are so many great players around the world, I’m incredibly honoured to receive these awards.”
South Africa’s T20 captain Faf du Plessis won the T20 Performance of the Year award for his 56-ball 119 against the West Indies in the second T20 in January.
Australia women’s captain Meg lanning has been named as the Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, while West Indies women’s captain Stafanie Taylor has won her maiden Women’s T20 Cricketer of the Year award.