The International Cricket Council has announced the nominees for the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award. England’s Captain Ben Stokes, South African Pacer Kagiso Rabada, Australian left-handed opener Usman Khwaja and English batsman Jonny Bairstow are nominated by the ICC.
Soon after Ben Stokes took over the captaincy of England’s test cricket team along with the coach Brendon McCullum, England has won nine out of a total 10 test matches they have played under his captaincy in 2022.
When Stokes became the captain, English Test Cricket was not going through a good time. They were at the bottom in the World Test Championship standings and England had no chance to qualify.
Not just as a captain, he had an amazing year with both bat and ball as well. He has scored 870 runs, two centuries and four half-centuries and also scalped 26 wickets at an average of 31.19.
Now, talking about England’s middle order explosive batter, Jonny Bairstow. He too had an amazing year and has been one of the best performers of England in test cricket after Stokes took over the captaincy.
In 2022, Bairstow played 10 Test matches in 2022, scoring 1061 runs at a staggering average of 66.31 and a strike rate of 76. This included 6 centuries and 1 half century.