Ashwin claims ICC cricketer of the year award

Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday was named ICC cricketer of the year. The 30-year-old is only the third Indian player after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy since the inception of the prize in 2004. 

Ravichandran Ashwin is the third Indian player after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to win the ICC prize of cricketer of the year. Reuters/Danish Siddiqui

Ashwin also collected the honour of Test cricketer of the year and the accolades come a week after he played a key part in India's 4-0 Test series win over England.

Ashwin took 48 wickets and scored 336 runs in eight Tests during the voting period of September 2015 and September 2016. He also captured 27 Twenty20 international wickets.

His haul of 28 wickets in the five games against England - making him the most effective Indian bowler - was not included in the evaluation for the awards but the crucial performances merely served to vindicate the choice of the selection panel.

"It feels great to follow the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in being named as the ICC cricketer of the year," said Ashwin. "To also win the ICC Test cricketer of the year makes it even better."

South Africa's Quinton de Kock was named one-day international cricketer of the year after he scored 793 runs in 16 50-over games.

And the West Indies' Carlos Brathwaite won the international Twenty20 performance of the year for his 10-ball 34 not out in the world Twenty20 final in April against England. The 28-year-old's side needed 19 runs off the final over to win the match. Braithwaite hit four consecutive sixes off the bowling of Ben Stokes to clinch victory.