Pant only Indian in ICC Test team of 2022

PTI, Jan 24, 2023, 5:55 PM IST

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from the injuries he sustained in a serious car crash two days before the new year, is the only Indian to be picked in the ICC Men’s Test team of 2022.

The 25-year-old had a glorious year with the bat, amassing 680 runs from 12 innings at an average of 61.81 and a strike rate of 90.90. He had two centuries and four fifties in the year.

He smashed 21 sixes in Tests in 2022 and was decent with the gloves, producing six stumpings and taking 23 catches.

England skipper Ben Stokes, who transformed the side with his aggressive brand of cricket, has been named captain of the Test XI that also has his team-mates Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson.

The ICC Test XI features four Aussies including skipper Pat Cummins forming a pace combination with South African ace Kagiso Rabada and Anderson.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam and West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite complete the lineup.

Iyer, Siraj only Indians in ODI Team of 2022 ==================================== Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer and young pacer Mohammed Siraj are the only two Indians who found a place in the ICC ODI Team of 2022 captained by Pakistan’s Babar Azam.

In a fruitful 2022, Iyer played the role of anchor in India’s star-studded batting lineup in the 50-over.

Mostly slotting in at No.4, Iyer played 17 games during the calendar year and scored 724 runs at an average of 55.69.

He scored his runs at a brisk pace of 91.52, which included one century and six fifties to cement his place in India’s ODI scheme of things ahead of the World Cup in October-November.

Siraj was one of the most improved bowlers in white-ball cricket and finished as the leading wicket-taker for the Men in Blue with 24 scalps in 15 ODIs in the absence of an injured Jasprit Bumrah.

His wickets came at an economy of 4.62 and an average of 23.50, with best figures of 3/29.

ICC Test Team of 2022: Ben Stokes (c), Usman Khawaja, Kraigg Brathwaite, Marnus Labuschagne, Babar Azam, Jonny Bairstow, Rishabh Pant (wk), Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Lyon and James Anderson.

ICC ODI Team of 2022: Babar Azam (c), Travis Head, Shai Hope, Shreyas Iyer, Tom Latham (wk), Sikandar Raza, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Siraj, Trent Boult and Adam Zampa.