In cricket, all players play with the only intention to win the game by scoring and taking wickets. Sometimes, when any cricketer reaches his peak or prime, he becomes invincible and tries to maximize his golden era. For players' great performances in a particular year, ICC awarded them the ICC Cricketer of the Year award. These awards were introduced by ICC in 2004, and Rahul Dravid was the first recipient of this award. We have seen many brilliant players getting these awards. So, let's look at the top ten players with the ICC Cricketer of the Year Award.
1. Sachin Tendulkar, 2010
Sachin Tendulkar is one of the rarest cricketers who played for so long. As a cricketer, he had the longest career as Sachin played 24 years for India. In 2010, when Sachin was 37 years old, his average was better than that of young players. It is because of his skills and dedication to the game. That's why Sachin got the ICC Cricketer of the Year award in 2010. In 2010, Sachin played 23 innings in a test, scoring 1,562 runs with an average of 78.1. Even in the ODIs, Sachin had an unbelievable average of 204 and also, and he also scored the first-ever ODI double-century in 2010.
2. Kumar Sangakkara, 2012
Few left-handed batters can play any bowling variations, and Kumar Sangakkara is one of them. Undoubtedly, he is one of the greatest batsmen to have ever played cricket. From 2011 to 2015, Kumar Sangakkara was in the prime of his career. In 2012, ICC awarded him the ICC Cricketer of the Year award. In 2012, Kumar Sangakkara scored 767 runs in test with an average of 51.1 and 1,184 runs in ODI with an average of 43.9.
3. Michael Clarke, 2013
Michael Clarke is a former right-handed batsman and skipper of Australia. One of the best batters and captains that Australia has ever produced, he was also the winning captain of the 2015 World Cup. Many people must realize Michael Clarke has experienced one of the best primes in cricket history. In 2013, he scored 1,396 runs, averaging 47.5 in tests and 37.9 runs in ODIs. For his excellent performance in 2013, Michael Clarke got the ICC Cricketer of the Year award.
4. Mitchell Johnson, 2014
Mitchell Johnson is one of the most lethal and dangerous fast bowlers Australian cricket has ever seen. In the year 2014, he became a nightmare for the batters. Especially in the Ashes 2014, England's batters used to fear him in that series. 2014 was the best year for Mitchell Johnson as he got the ICC Cricketer of the Year award. In 2014, he took 47 wickets in tests with an average of 23.3 and 14 in ODI with an average of 30.9. After 2009, Mitchell Johnson got the ICC Cricketer of the Year award for the second time.
5. Steve Smith, 2015
In today's time, Steve Smith is one of the best and most essential batsmen in the Australian batting lineup. 2015 was the year for Steve Smith, as he scored big runs for his team. No one can forget his match-winning innings in the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup. In 2015, Steve Smith scored 1,474 runs in the test with a fantastic average of 73.7. Also, in ODI cricket, he scored 805 runs with an average of 53.7. Steve Smith got the ICC Cricketer of the Year award for his brilliant and match-winning batting performance.
6. Ravichandran Ashwin, 2016
Ravichandran Ashwin has been one of the best spinners that India has ever produced. In test cricket, no one can think of India's playing 11 without Ashwin, as he is one of the most critical players in the Indian test team. In 2016, Ravichandran Ashwin was a beast and nightmare of batters, and he was in the prime of his career. In 2016, Ashwin took 72 test wickets with an average of 23.9. He got the ICC Cricketer of the Year award for his exceptional performance in test matches.
7. Virat Kohli, 2017 & 2018
From 2016 to 2019, Virat Kohli was in the prime of his career. In this period, no bowlers were a headache for him, and scoring centuries was his cup of tea for him. In 2017, Virat Kohli scored 1,059 runs in the test and 1,473 runs in the ODI; in both formats, he had more than 75. In 2018, Virat Kohli scored 1,307 runs in the trial and 1,202 runs in the ODI. In these years, he scored 12 centuries in ODI and 10 centuries in test cricket. For his exceptional performances in 2017 and 2018, ICC awarded him the ICC Cricketer of the Year award.
8. Ben Stokes, 2019
Undoubtedly, Ben Stokes made one of the best comebacks in cricket history. After giving 19 runs in the World T20 finals, he did not give up. In the 2019 World Cup, Ben Stokes was the last man standing and played a match-winning innings in the unforgettable final, and his remarkable innings of 135 in the Ashes was unbelievable. In 2019, he performed with both a bat and a ball. Ben Stokes scored 1,540 runs and took 34 wickets as well. Ben Stokes got the ICC Cricketer of the Year award for his remarkable performance in 2019.
9. Shaheen Afridi, 2021
2021 was the breakthrough year for Shaheen Afridi, as this was the year he performed exceptionally. The T20 World Cup also happened in 2021, where Shaheen Afridi dismissed many world-class batters. This year, he took 47 wickets in the test with an average of 17.1 and 23 wickets in T20, with a fantastic average of 26 in T20 cricket. Shaheen Afridi became the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2021 for his magnificent bowling performances.
10. Babar Azam, 2022
Babar Azam is one of the most technically sound batsmen in current Pakistani batting lineup. Even though he is currently struggling with his poor form, there is no doubt that Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in the modern era. Before Shubman Gill, he was the World's No. 1 batsman in ODI. In 2022, Babar Azam scored 1,184 runs in tests, 748 runs in ODI, and 735 runs in T20. That's why he got the ICC Cricketer of the Year award in 2022.
