The Tamil Nadu all-rounder became just the third Indian player to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of the Year after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar won it in 2004 and 2010, respectively.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s great year with the ball was capped with a double bonanza, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) giving him the ICC Cricket of the Year as well as the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year awards at the ICC Annual Awards on Thursday.
The Tamil Nadu all-rounder became just the third Indian player to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of the Year after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar won it in 2004 and 2010, respectively.
“It’s a bit overwhelming and it is yet to sink in completely,” Ashwin told DNA after winning the award on Thursday. “At the same time, I was expecting to land one, but to end up with two awards was extremely special. To be bracketed alongside Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar is indeed a matter of great pride.”
During the voting period — which ran from September 14, 2015 to September 20, 2016 — the 30-year-old played eight Tests in which he took 48 wickets and scored 336 runs, while also claiming 27 wickets in 19 T20Is. Ashwin had finished 2015 as the No. 1 Test bowler in the world, a position he twice reclaimed in 2016.
“I want to dedicate this award to my family who have been a pillar of strength. And not to forget all my teammates and coach Anil Kumble who push me to give my best with their support and guidance,” Ashwin told this paper.
Ashwin also became just the second player from the country after Dravid in 2004 to win two awards in the same year. Jacques Kallis (2005), Ricky Ponting (2006), Kumar Sangakkara (2012), Michael Clarke (2013), Mitchell Johnson (2014) and Steve Smith (2015) are the other players that have bagged twin honours in one year.
“It has been a great couple of years but this year has been even more special. What is very noticeable is the way I have bowled and batted and the way I have gone about doing my business,” Ashwin said in an ICC statement.
“We’ve had a great transition ever since Mahendra Singh Dhoni hung up his boots. A young (Test) captain (Virat Kohli) has taken over, we fell on the right track, and we now have a new bunch of boys,” he added.
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