Joe Root named on shortlist for ICC cricketer of the decade

• News Desk
• November 25, 2020

England Test captain Joe Root has been named on a seven-man shortlist for the ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade, while compatriot Sarah Taylor has been nominated for the female award.

Root is in contention for the Sir Garfield Sobers Award alongside India pair Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli, Australian batsman Steve Smith, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, AB De Villiers of South Africa, and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara.

Batsman Taylor is included among six contenders for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award. Australians Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies, and India’s Mithali Raj make up the shortlist.

The awards recognise the best overall performers across all formats of international cricket between January 1, 2011 and October 7, 2020.

A fan vote, which runs from November 25 until December 16, will make up 10 per of the voting, with votes from an expert panel contributing 90 per cent.

Root is also up for Test Cricketer of the Decade, along with England team-mate James Anderson, while Anya Shrubsole has been shortlisted for the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade.

England batsman Jason Roy described 29-year-old Root – who is not in his country’s T20 squad for the current tour of South Africa but is part of the group for the subsequent three one-day internationals – as “full of class”.

“You just know what you’re going to get with Rooty don’t you?” Roy said.

“We played a squad game the other day and I said to Jos (Buttler), ‘he’s just always batting isn’t he?’ He’s always there, you look out at the middle and he’s always on 40. He’s full of class”

Meanwhile, Scotland trio Richie Berrington, Kyle Coetzer and Calum MacLeod have been nominated for the Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade , while compatriots Kathryn Bryce and Sarah Bryce are up for the female equivalent.

Other ICC Awards of the Decade nominees

Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade – The best overall performer in women’s international cricket (Tests, ODIs and T20Is) during the performance period:

• Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
• Meg Lanning (Australia)
• Ellyse Perry (Australia)
• Mithali Raj (India)
• Sarah Taylor (England)
• Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)

ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Decade – The best overall performer in men’s Test cricket during the performance period:

• James Anderson (England)
• Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)
• Virat Kohli (India)
• Joe Root (England)
• Yasir Shah (Pakistan)
• Steve Smith (Australia)
• Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade – The best overall performer in men’s ODI cricket during the performance period:

• MS Dhoni (India)
• Virat Kohli (India)
• Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
• Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
• Rohit Sharma (India)
• Mitchell Starc (Australia)
• AB de Villiers (South Africa)

ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade – The best overall performer in women’s ODI cricket during the performance period:

• Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
• Jhulan Goswami (India)
• Meg Lanning (Australia)
• Ellyse Perry (Australia)
• Mithali Raj (India)
• Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)

ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade – The best overall performer in men’s T20I cricket during the performance period:

• Aaron Finch (Australia)
• Chris Gayle (West Indies)
• Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
• Virat Kohli (India)
• Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
• Rohit Sharma (India)
• Imran Tahir (South Africa)

ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade – The best overall performer in women’s T20I cricket during the performance period:

• Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
• Deandra Dottin (West Indies)
• Alyssa Healy (Australia)
• Meg Lanning (Australia)
• Ellyse Perry (Australia)
• Anya Shrubsole (England)

ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade – The best overall performer in men’s Associate cricket during the performance period:

• Richie Berrington (Scotland)
• Peter Borren (Netherlands)
• Kyle Coetzer (Scotland)
• Paras Khadka (Nepal)
• Calum MacLeod (Scotland)
• Assad Vala (PNG)

ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade – The best overall performer in women’s Associate cricket during the performance period:

• Kathryn Bryce (Scotland)
• Sarah Bryce (Scotland)
• Natthakan Chantham (Thailand)
• Sterre Kalis (Netherlands)
• Chanida Sutthiruang (Thailand)
• Sornnorin Tippoch (Thailand)

ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade – An action, moment, gesture, or decision on the field of play in international cricket during the performance period which best reflects the Spirit of Cricket:

• 2011 Winner – MS Dhoni (India)
• 2012 Winner – Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)
• 2013 Winner – Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)
• 2014 Winner – Katherine Brunt (England)
• 2015 Winner – Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
• 2016 Winner – Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
• 2017 Winner – Anya Shrubsole (England)
• 2018 Winner – Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
• 2019 Winner – Virat Kohli (India)