ICC Men's Test Cricketer Of The Year: Usman Khawaja Pips Root, Ashwin & Head To 2023 Award

Australian opener Usman Khawaja was on Thursday (January 25) named the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Test cricketer of the year 2023 as the ICC continued to reveal the individual winners in ICC Awards 2023.

Khawaja beat off tough competition from teammate Travis Head, India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and England's Joe Root for the award following a successful year that culminated in Australia claiming their first ICC World Test Championship title.

The 37-year-old amassed 1210 runs, including 3 centuries and 6 fifties with a best of 195*, in 13 matches at an average of 52.60 in the year 2023, resulting in him being named the Test Cricketer of the Year.

Khawaja, who was also named in the Test team of the year, kicked off 2023 in splendid form, carrying forward his momentum from the previous year by notching a career-best score of 195* against South Africa.

The opener shined in the biggest test of his career - the away series against India where he finished as the top run-getter among both teams with 333 runs in four matches, which included a century and two fifties.

Undeterred by a pair of rare failires during the World Test Championship Final, Khawaja rebounded against England in the Ashes, finishing once again as the highest run-getter in the series with 496 runs.

The left-handed star finished the year on a high with three scores of 40+ against Pakistan. With a grand total of 1210 runs, Khawaja stood alone as the sole player to breach the four-figure mark for Test runs in the challenging and rewarding year of 2023.

The ICC started the awards week by revealing the teams of the year in men and women's category followed by individual awards starting with T20I Player of the Year and Associate Player of the Year on Wednesday (January 24).

On Thursday (January 25), ICC revealed the Men's Test Cricketer, Women's Cricketer of the Year - the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and the Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year.

While England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt bagged the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the second year in the running, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu was named the Women's ODI player of the year.