Sangakkara Named Captain Of Test Team

The ICC today announced its Test Team of the Year, as chosen by a specially appointed selection panel chaired by West Indian batting legend Clive Lloyd.

Kumar Sangakkara was named captain of the ICC World Test Team. Photo by Shiek Mohamed.

The announcement was made at the media conference to announce the short-lists for the LG ICC Awards 2011 which are due to be held in London on 12 September 2011. Presented in association with FICA, the LG ICC Awards recognise the best international players of the past 12 months.

The ICC Test Team of the Year is (in batting order):
Alastair Cook (Eng)
Hashim Amla (SA)
Jonathan Trott (Eng)
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL – wicketkeeper/captain)
AB de Villiers (SA)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Graeme Swann (Eng)
Dale Steyn (SA)
James Anderson (Eng)
Zaheer Khan (Ind) (12th man)

Four countries are represented in the 12-man line-up and South Africa’s Dale Steyn has earned a place in the ICC World Test Team of the Year for the fourth successive year. He was also a member of the ICC World Test Team of the Year 2008, 2009 and 2010.

India’s Sachin Tendulkar makes the line-up for the third year in a row – having appeared in the ICC World Test Team of the Year 2009 and 2010 while South Africans Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, along with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, and England duo of Graeme Swann and James Anderson all appearing for the second year in a row.

Former Sri Lanka skipper Sangakkara is named as captain of the team.

The Chairman of the LG ICC Awards selection panel, Clive Lloyd, said: “The selection of this year’s Test team was a difficult one with so many worthy candidates available to fill just 12 places. The team has a formidable line-up that bats well down the order and has bowlers with the ability and form to dismiss any opposition twice on any surface.

“The selection was a difficult process with so many outstanding performances available to look back on. All the top performers during the voting period were discussed at length and various combinations were considered.

“While selecting the squad, the selectors didn’t rely only on statistics only but took into account all other factors like the opposition, pitch conditions, match situation etc. But when you have only 12 places to fill from a big group of world-class players, there will always be a few who will miss out.

“In the panel’s expert opinion, it has selected the best team based on performances over the past 12 months.”

Lloyd was joined on the panel by former South Africa spin bowler Paul Adams, former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas, former New Zealand bowler-turned-commentator Danny Morrison and former England batsman Mike Gatting. Statistics were available as a guide but were not necessarily the overwhelming factor in the choices made.

The ICC Test Team of the Year is one of two teams selected by the ICC selection panel along with the ODI line-up which will be announced at a special function the morning of the LG ICC Awards.

The Selection Panel
The LG ICC Awards selection panel was charged with two main tasks: providing a long-list of nominations to the 25 members of the voting academy to cast their votes in the individual player award categories and, using their experience, knowledge and appreciation of the game, select the ICC Test and ODI teams.

Clive Lloyd (chairman)
One of the most recognisable and respected figures in world cricket, Lloyd led West Indies to victories in the first two ICC Cricket World Cups (in 1975 and 1979) and played a crucial role in the overall success of the team during the 1970s and early 1980s. As a big, hard-hitting, left-handed batsman, he scored 7,515 runs in 110 Tests, including 19 centuries. In 87 ODIs, he scored 1,977 runs at an average of just under 40. He was also named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1971. When he retired from playing, he remained involved as a coach, manager and ICC match referee and is currently the chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee.

Paul Adams
Since he broke out on the international scene in 1995, Adams’ action formed the subject of a lot of discussion in cricketing circles. After much debate, it was decided that his unique action to deliver what some would call left-arm chinamen could best be described as ‘A Frog in a Blender’. He formed a crucial spinning element in an attack dominated by such luminaries as Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock in the 1990s. Adams finally ended his career in 2004 with 134 wickets from his 45 Tests and since then has been working as a coach in Cape Town.

Zaheer Abbas
His appetite for making first-class hundreds earned Zaheer Abbas the sobriquet, the Asian Bradman. His elegant batsmanship marked him out as one of the best of his era, having been one of the few and the only Asian batsman to a century of centuries in first-class history. His successful Test career was also backed up by his excellent time at English County side, Gloucestershire, where he made plenty of runs through his long career with them. Zaheer finally called time on his 16-year career in 1985 with 5,062 runs from 78 Tests. Post retirement, Zaheer has been seen in the role of Pakistan team manager, ICC match-referee and also an expert commentator.

Danny Morrison
Between the retirement of the great Sir Richard Hadlee and the arrival of Shane Bond, Danny Morrison was New Zealand’s best fast bowler. He was the lone strike bowler in an era dominated by medium-pacers in the New Zealand line-up. He was quick and struck regularly with the ball to help New Zealand emerge as one of the sides to watch out for in the one-day international circuit in the early 1990s, especially the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992. Since his retirement in 1997, he is based in Australia, dividing time between doing commentary work across the cricketing world and his family.

Mike Gatting
Making 79 Test appearances, Mike Gatting hit 4,409 runs, including 10 Test centuries, with a highest score of 207, and is remembered as one of the finest England batman. He also made 92 ODI appearances, leading England to the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 1987, where it lost to Australia. He now works for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Based on the period between 11 August 2010 and 3 August 2011, the LG ICC Awards 2011– presented in association with FICA – take into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.

The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its seventh year and this year is being held in London. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009), Dubai (2008). Bengaluru (2010).