Star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has ended his year on a great note as he has been adjudged as the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2016 for his splendid all-round performance across all the formats of cricket. He has also been adjudged as the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year.
With this, Ashwin has joined the elite club of a few cricketers who have got the award. For India, only Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar had been the ICC Cricketer of the Year.
ICC said in a release that during the voting period, Ashwin played 8 Test matches taking 48 wickets and scoring 336 runs.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be awarded with this great honour. It feels great to follow the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in being named as the ICC Cricketer of the Year. To also win the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year makes it even better,” Ashwin was quoted by ICC.
Also read: Kohli excluded from the ICC Test team of the year, Ashwin bags Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy
“I’d like to dedicate this award to my family. I’d like to thank ICC and most importantly my team-mates. I’d also like to thank the support staff for our success. We’ve had a great transition ever since Mahendra Singh Dhoni hung up his boots. A young captain has taken over, we fell on the right track, and we now have a new bunch of boys,” he added.
2016 has been a great year for R Ashwin. He played 12 Tests and took 72 wickets. He also scored 612 runs in 14 innings- this includes two centuries and four half-centuries. In the recently concluded series against England, he took 28 wickets and contributed hugely with the bat. He is the number 1 Test bowler in the world.
