No Pakistani in Pat Cummins-led Test Team of the Year 2024

The lineup features four England players

By Web Desk
January 24, 2025
Pakistan´s players (left) celebrate the dismissal of West Indies´ Kevin Sinclair during the second day of the first Test on January 18, 2025 and Australia's Pat Cummins (right) in action during the third Test against India on December 16, 2024, — AFP

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday, announced the men’s Test Team of the Year 2024, led by Australia’s longer formats captain Pat Cummins.

The lineup, comprised of top performing players from across the world, does not feature a single Pakistan player, highlighting the national team’s dismal run in the format.

India’s batting prodigy Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 1,478 runs at an impressive average of 54.74, has been selected as the opener alongside England’s Ben Duckett, the third-highest run-scorer of 2024 with 1149 runs.

New Zealand’s ace batter Kane Williamson, despite having an injury-hit season, managed to make a cut into the team on the back of his consistent performances in the format and thus rounds up the top-order.

England’s Joe Root continued to showcase his prowess in the longest format and topped the run-scoring chart in 2024 with 1,556 runs at an impressive average of 55.57, featuring five centuries.

The right-handed batter, placed at number four, is joined by compatriots Harry Brook and Jamie Smith in the middle-order with India’s Ravindra Jadeja to follow.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Cummins will lead the men’s Test team for the second consecutive year as he led his side to monumental series victories over West Indies, New Zealand and India, which helped the defending champions to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The 31-year-old also made significant contributions with both bat and ball as he took 37 wickets at an average of 24.02 and scored 306 runs at 23.53.

Cummins is joined by India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who also had an equally impressive year with both as a bowler and the captain.

The right-arm pacer was at his best in India’s five-match Test series against Australia as besides leading the visitors to a famous victory in the opening fixture, picked up 32 wickets at an average of just 13.06.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Matt Henry, who finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in 2024 with 48 scalps rounds up the team’s fast bowling unit.

ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year 2024: Pat Cummins (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ben Duckett, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Jamie Smith, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Matt Henry.

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