All-conquering Aussie cricket team snubbed by ICC in Test and ODI team of the year

Australia skipper Pat Cummins has been selected as captain of the ICC’s Men’s Test Team of the Year, but there was no room for any of his compatriots in the all-star line-up of 2024’s best international XI.

The sport’s governing body unveiled its awards for last year’s top performers on Friday, with fast bowler Cummins the only player from the all-conquering Aussie side to feature in the Test XI.

In fact, he was the only Aussie to feature in either of the male teams, with not a single representative in the ODI team of the year.

The teams are chosen by international media on the ICC’s Voting Academy.

Cummins, who won the Sir Garfield Sobers award as the ICC’s Men’s Cricketer of the Year in 2023, oversaw six wins, two losses and a draw as Test captain in the last calendar year while leading his side to another World Test Championship final.

It’s the second-straight year the 31-year-old has been selected as the all-star team captain following Australia’s series wins over Pakistan, New Zealand and India, during which he picked up 37 wickets at 24.02 apiece.

But there was no room for star batter Travis Head or strike bowler Josh Hazlewood despite stellar years.

England (four players) and India (three) dominated the Test team despite not qualifying for the World Test Championship final.

In the Men’s One-Day International team of the Year, not a single player from Australia’s World Cup champions was able to make the cut, with the XI made up almost entirely of Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan internationals.

Australia only played a handful of ODIs in 2024, but did still post series wins over West Indies and England, while they lost on home soil to Pakistan.

Interestingly, not a single player from India, England, South Africa or New Zealand made the team either.

The Women’s One-Day International team of the year features only allrounders Ash Gardner and Annabel Sutherland from the dominant Australia side that won 10 of their 11 completed ODIs in 2024.

Gardner topped the women’s ODI allrounder rankings after 269 runs and 20 wickets during the year, while Sutherland ended the year with player-of-the-series awards against India and New Zealand in December.

Men’s Test Team of the Year: Yashasvi Jaiswal (India), Ben Duckett (England), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Joe Root (England), Harry Brook (England), Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka), Jamie Smith (wkt, England), Ravindra Jadeja (India), Pat Cummins (capt, Australia), Matt Henry (New Zealand), Jasprit Bumrah (India).

ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year: Saim Ayub (Pakistan), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka), Kusal Mendis (wkt, Sri Lanka), Charith Asalanka (capt, Sri Lanka), Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies), Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan), Haris Rauf (Pakistan), AM Ghazanfar (Afghanistan).

ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year: Smriti Mandhana (India), Laura Wolvaardt (capt, South Africa), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Ash Gardner (Australia) Annabel Sutherland (Australia), Amy Jones (wkt, England), Deepti Sharma (India), Sophie Ecclestone (England), Kate Cross (England).

- With AAP