The International Cricket Council on Tuesday named Indian skipper Virat Kohli the captain of its annually selected Test and One-Day International teams. Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas has been named as a member of the Test squad.
The teams were picked by the ICC’s voting academy which comprises former cricketers and veteran journalists.
Kohli finished 2018 as the number one batsman in both Tests and ODIs, while India ended the year as the top-ranked Test team and number two behind England in the ODI rankings. He was also named cricketer of the year in the ICC awards, becoming the first-ever player to clinch all three top honours.
The Indian skipper has scored 1,322 runs at an average of 55.08 with five centuries in 13 test matches for India. He has also scored 1,202 runs in 14 ODIs, including six centuries.
“It has been an amazing year,” Kohli said. “I was able to play in a manner that I would not have imagined.”
India’s wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah also featured on the Test XI. Bumrah is the only other player, in addition to Kohli, who made both the Test and ODI teams.
Three New Zealanders captain Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls and opening batsman Tom Latham were picked to be part of the Test team.
Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas, Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne, West Indies’ Jason Holder, South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Australia’s Nathan Lyon completed the Test squad.
“This looks like an individual piece of recognition, but it is much more about the team,” Williamson said.
Indian opening batsman Rohit Sharma and spinner Kuldeep Yadav made it on the ODI squad. It also included England’s Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. Top-ranked bowler Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rehman and New Zealand’s Ross Taylor were named in the ODI team.
Other ICC awards
Australia opener Aaron Finch won the Twenty20 performance of the year award for the second time for his 172 — the highest ever individual T20 score — against Zimbabwe in Harare last July.
India’s Rishabh Pant was named emerging player of the year, while Scotland batsman Callum MacLeod took home the associate cricketer of the year trophy. 21-year-old Pant became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a Test century in England, and equalled the record for the most catches taken in a Test, with 11 in Adelaide in December.
ICC men’s Test XI: Tom Latham (New Zealand), Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Virat Kohli (India, captain), Henry Nicholls (New Zealand), Rishabh Pant (India), Jason Holder (West Indies), Kagiso Rabada (South Africa), Nathan Lyon (Australia), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan)
ICC men’s ODI team of the year: Rohit Sharma (India), Jonny Bairstow (England), Virat Kohli (India) (capt), Joe Root (England), Ross Taylor (New Zealand), Jos Buttler (England), Ben Stokes (England), Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Kuldeep Yadav (India), Jasprit Bumrah (India).
