Mohammad Abbas makes it into Virat Kohli’s ICC Test Team of the Year

Becoming the only Pakistani cricketer to make it into the team, Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas was selected into International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s Test Team of the Year, after an outstanding bowling display with the ball in 2018.

Abbas enjoyed a fabulous 2018, picking up 38 wickets in the year, in seven Test matches, featuring 3 five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul. The list, which was overwhelmingly dominated by the Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli, who was named captain of both Test and ODI teams, picked on basis of performances in 2018, saw no Pakistani cricketer in the ODI Team of the Year.

Kohli’s 1,322 runs at an average of 55.08 with five centuries in 13 Tests and 1,202 runs at an astounding average of 133.55 with six hundreds in 14 ODIs easily made him the stand out player of the year. The Indian captain also became the first player to win all three of top awards after being named captain of the Test and ODI teams earlier in the day

“It feels amazing. It’s a reward for all the hard work that you do throughout the calendar year. I feel really grateful and very, very happy with the team doing well at the same time myself performing. Having recognition at the global level from the ICC is something you feel proud of as a cricketer because you understand that there are many players playing the game,” said Kohli, quoted ICC.

ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year (in batting order):

1. Tom Latham (New Zealand)
2. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)
3. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
4. Virat Kohli (India) (capt)
5. Henry Nicholls (New Zealand)
6. Rishabh Pant (India) (wk)
7. Jason Holder (Windies)
8. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
9. Nathan Lyon (Australia)
10. Jasprit Bumrah (India)
11. Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan)

ICC Men’s ODI team of the year (in batting order):

1. Rohit Sharma (India)
2. Jonny Bairstow (England)
3. Virat Kohli (India) (capt)
4. Joe Root (England)
5. Ross Taylor (New Zealand)
6. Jos Buttler (England) (wk)
7. Ben Stokes (England)
8. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
9. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
10. Kuldeep Yadav (India)
11. Jasprit Bumrah (India)Copyright Business Recorder, 2019