Joe Root declared ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 2021

F.P. Report

LORD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared England captain Joe Root as the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 2021 for his breathtaking consistency, hunger for big runs, and numerous mesmerising performances.

Other than England’s captain, Pakistanis players Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson were also nominated for the award.

The magnitude of Joe Root’s sublime form in the year 2021 can be summed up in one simple stat — he has become only the third player in history to aggregate over 1,700 runs in Test cricket in a calendar year. Only Mohammad Yousuf and Sir Vivian Richards stand ahead of him.

Be it Asia or conditions back at home and against a range of bowling, Root has almost conquered all with some sublime innings. His knocks in Galle against Sri Lanka, and against India in both Chennai and Lord’s are some of the finest witnessed in the modern era, and will be spoken of highly for a long, long time.

He hasn’t been shabby with the ball as well, chipping in with a handy 14 wickets, including a five-for in Ahmedabad.

Root’s 218 in the first Test of the four-match series against India in Chennai was a masterclass in batting. He swatted away a quality bowling attack, both pace and spin, with utter ease.

This continued his form from the series in Sri Lanka, where he was again in sensational touch.

Batting for 377 deliveries, the Indian bowling had no answers to the Root conundrum, as he set up a 227-run victory for the visitors.

This was also a sign of things to come for the remainder of the year, as the England skipper played knock after knock of the highest calibre, irrespective of the opposition.