Ravichandran Ashwin is 12th Man in ICC Test Team of The Year; Mohammed Shami in ODI Playing XI
Ravichandran Ashwin's brilliant form has won him the 12th Man's spot in the ICC Test Team of the Year, 2015 while Mohammed Shami is in the playing XI for the ICC ODI Team of the Year.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's brilliant performance with the ball has won him the 12th men's spot in ICC's Test Team of the Year, 2015. Ashwin has been in brilliant form for India and has been central to ending South Africa's nine-year-old unbeaten streak in Tests overseas. (Ravichandran Ashwin is Becoming World's Envy)
Mohammed Shami, recovering from injury, has made the playing XI of the ICC ODI Team of the Year. The Indian pacer is part of a four-man pace attack that includes Mitchell Starc of Australia and Bangladesh's sensational left-arm quickie Mustafizur Rahman. (Mohammed Shami is the Best Indian Pacer: Aaqib Javed)
England's Alastair Cook has been named captain of the Test team while AB De Villiers of South Africa will skipper the ODI squad.
The Test squad includes Stuart Broad and Joe Root. This is the fifth time since 2009 that Broad has been selected in the ICC Test Team of the Year having previously been included in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014. For Cook, this is his fourth selection and his second as captain having achieved that feat in 2013.
Steven Smith is one of three Australian players selected alongside opener David Warner, for the second successive year, and pace bowler Josh Hazlewood. There are also three Pakistan players in the panel -- Younis Khan, wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed and leg-spinner Yasir Shah.
De Villiers, meanwhile, has been 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.
The ICC teams of the year are chosen by a specially appointed selection panel chaired by the ICC's Cricket Committee chairman and former India captain Anil Kumble. The qualification period ran from September 18, 2014 to September 13, 2015. ÂÂ
The selection panel included past greats Ian Bishop of the West Indies, ex-England batsman Mark Butcher, former Australia women's captain Belinda Clark and G. Viswanath, Deputy Editor of The Hindu and Sportstar.
ICC Test Team of the Year 2015 (in batting order):
David Warner (Aus), Alastair Cook (Eng) (captain), Kane Williamson (NZ), Younis Khan (Pak), Steven Smith (Aus), Joe Root (Eng), Sarfraz Ahmed (Pak) (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad (Eng), Trent Boult (NZ), Yasir Shah (Pak), Josh Hazlewood (Aus). 12th: Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind)
ICC ODI Team of the Year 2015 (in batting order):
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Hashim Amla (SA), Kumar Sangakkara (SL) (wicketkeeper), AB de Villiers (SA) (captain), Steven Smith (Aus), Ross Taylor (NZ), Trent Boult (NZ), Mohammed Shami (Ind), Mitchell Starc (Aus), Mustafizur Rahman (Bang), Imran Tahir (SA). 12th: Joe Root (Eng)