Ben Stokes Named World Player of the Year

Ben Stokes was named ICC Player of the Year on Wednesday after a red-hot 12 months during which the all-rounder helped England to a maiden 50-overs World Cup crown.

Stokes shattered an undefeated 84 at Lord's in a heart-stopping World Cup final versus New Zealand, which finished in a draw before England claimed the title on boundary countback from hosts.

The 28-year-old has made 135 not out in the third Ashes test against Australia at Headingley to seal an impressive win for England.

"The last 12 months have been the best in my career, and I believe what we attained will be the catalyst to achieve further success over the next few years," Stokes said in a statement issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Australia's strong Pat Cummins pipped fellow countrymen Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to the Test Player of the Year award among others.

"It's a tremendous honor to be considered the best player of last year and one which was certainly unexpected," said Cummins, who finished the year as the top-ranked test bowler.

India's opener Rohit Sharma has been voted ODI Player of the Year in the calendar year after smashing seven hundreds, five of them in the World Cup.

Compatriot Deepak Chahar's six wickets for seven runs in a 20-overs match against Bangladesh, the best bowling figures in that format, was adjudged the T20I Performance of the Year.

Labuschagne won the Emerging Player award while Richard Illingworth received the David Shepherd Trophy for Umpire of the Year.

India captain Virat Kohli, who swept the Player, Test and ODI Player of the Year awards for 2018, was named captain of both the ICC test and one-day teams of the year.

The 31-year-old also won the "Spirit of Cricket" award for urging the Oval crowd to stop booing Australian Smith, who was returning from a ball-tampering ban, during a World Cup match.

Source: Reuters