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Australia opener Usman Khawaja was named as the ICC men’s Test cricketer of the year while England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt bagged the women’s cricketer of the year honour on January 25, Thursday.
Khawaja claimed the award after a year filled with exceptional performances that saw him outshine a field of formidable contenders, including his Australian teammate Travis Head, India’s ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, and England’s batting maestro Joe Root.
Khawaja’s journey through 2023 was nothing short of extraordinary, beginning with a monumental unbeaten knock of 195 against South Africa, setting the tone for a year of high scores and consistent batting displays.
His prowess was particularly evident during Australia’s challenging tour of India, where he emerged as the series’ leading scorer with an impressive tally of 333 runs across four matches, featuring a standout century and two fifties.
Despite experiencing a couple of setbacks in the World Test Championship Final, Khawaja’s resilience shone through in the Ashes series against England. There, he reclaimed his status as the series’ top scorer, amassing a remarkable 496 runs and playing a pivotal role in Australia’s quest for victory.
Khawaja’s bat continued to speak volumes as he rounded off the year with three substantial contributions against Pakistan, each surpassing the 40-run mark. His cumulative run total for the year reached an awe-inspiring 1210, making him the only batter to cross the thousand-run threshold in Test cricket for the year 2023.
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