AFP/Dubai


Australia captain Steve Smith has been named ICC cricketer of the year for 2015, the sport’s Dubai-based governing body revealed yesterday.
The 26-year-old finished the year, which runs from September to September, as the leading Test run-scorer with 1,734 runs from 25 innings, averaging 82.57.
He also became the second youngest player to reach the number one ranking for Test batsmen behind Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Smith thus became the fourth Australian to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in its 12th edition, following in the footsteps of Ricky Ponting (2006 and 2007), Mitchell Johnson (2009 and 2014) and Michael Clarke (2013).
He was also adjudged the Test cricketer of the year, although while he was a part of the Australia team that won the World Cup in the one-day format, he captained his country in their Ashes defeat to England.
“Given that there are so many great players around the world, I’m incredibly honoured to receive these awards,” said Smith in a statement released by the ICC.  
While team success is always my number-one motivation, awards like this are very special. I’m thrilled and very proud to receive them.  
“I will look back on 2015 with mixed feelings. Winning the ICC Cricket World Cup at home was a career highlight, and being appointed captain is a great honour, but the disappointment of losing the Ashes remains.”
South Africa’s ODI captain AB de Villiers was named ODI player of the year while his teammate and T20I captain Faf du Plessis won the award for the T20 performance of the year for his 56-ball 119 against West Indies in Johannesburg in January.
De Villiers scored 1,265 runs in 20 innings averaging just over 79.
But it was his record-breaking efforts against West Indies, also in Johannesburg in January, in the second ODI that earned him the honour.
De Villiers broke the record for the fastest ODI century of all time, managing the feat off just 31 balls, five fewer than previous record-holder Corey Anderson of New Zealand.  
Like Smith, though, De Villiers had mixed feelings about his season.
“It’s certainly been a memorable year with many highlights but a lot of disappointments as well,” he said.
“If I was to look back, the century I scored against the West Indies at the Wanderers will probably go down as the most memorable knocks of the year.  
“In saying that, centuries count for nothing if the team isn’t winning, so hopefully in the future I can contribute to many more Proteas wins.”
Australia’s women’s captain Meg Lanning won the women’s ODI cricketer of the year award with Stafanie Taylor of West Indies taking the T20I honour.