Analysis: ICC Awards 2015

Steve Smith has become the fourth Australian cricketer and 11th player overall to win the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after being named as the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2015. Smith followed the footsteps of Ricky Ponting (2006 and 2007), Mitchell Johnson (2009 and 2014) and Michael Clarke (2013) to lift the prestigious award.

1. Steve Smith- ICC Test Cricketer, ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy):

2015 has been a good year for Steve Smith; first lifting the World Cup and then earning the captain’s armband. In 19 ODI games this year, Smith scalped 805 runs at an average of 53.66, at a strike rate of 86.09.

In whites, he represented the baggy green 12 times, notching up 1270 runs at an average of 63.50. Overall Smith has plundered 7 centuries and 9 fifties this year. As captain, he led the brigade to memorable series wins this year and it’s fitting to see him win both the awards.

During the voting period, which ran from 18 September 2014 to 13 September 2015, the 26-year-old from New South Wales finished as the leading run-scorer in Tests with 1,734 runs in 25 innings of 13 matches at an average of 82.57. This included seven centuries and six half-centuries. In 26 One-Day Internationals, Smith scored 1,249 runs at an average of just under 60 with four centuries and eight half-centuries. He was a member of the Australia side which won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.