Mitchell Johnson named ICC Cricketer of the Year

Dubai: It was double delight Mitchell Johnson as the Australian fast bowler was today declared ICC Cricketer of the Year as well as the ICC Test cricketer of the Year. The 33-year-old has won the coveted Cricketer of the Year award for the second time in his career while he is only third Australian after Ricky Ponting (2006) and Michael Clarke (2013) to win the Test Cricketer of the Year award. [caption id=“attachment_1803357” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mitchell Johnson was often a terrifying sight for bowlers in 2013-14. AP[/caption] During the voting period between 26 August 2013 and 17 September 2014, Johnson claimed 59 Test wickets at an average of 15.23, with best bowling figures of seven for 40 runs against England in Adelaide last December. In ODIs, Johnson claimed 21 wickets in 16 games. Since the inception of the awards in 2004, Johnson is only the second player after compatriot Ricky Ponting to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy twice. While Johnson previously won this trophy in 2009, Ponting lifted it back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. Other winners include Rahul Dravid (2004), Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff (2005), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (2008), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Jonathan Trott (2011), Kumar Sangakkara (2012) and Michael Clarke (2013). “Some of the greats of the game have been nominated and won this award, and it’s a very special honour,” a delighted Johnson said. “Aggressive fast bowlers are something you’d have seen back in the day with the likes of (Dennis) Lillee and (Jeff) Thomson. For me, it’s nice to be able to contribute to the team and do the job that I’ve always thought I’ve been able to do. I suppose it comes down to the attitude I’ve got, the belief and the confidence. I’m very happy with where I am at the moment and I want to keep getting better as a cricketer.” Johnson was earlier named in the ICC Test Team of the Year in Dubai on 5 November. In the same event, India fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar Kumar was revealed as the LG People’s Choice award winner Johnson has been joined on the winners’ list by South Africa’s AB de Villiers, who was named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year, and England’s Gary Ballance, who claimed his first-ever ICC award after being named the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year. Other winners include England’s wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor, who has won the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award, Australia opener Aaron Finch, whose 156 against England off 63 balls, has won him the ICC T20I Performance of the Year award, and Scotland’s Preston Mommsen, who won the ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year award. Richard Kettleborough of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires won the David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year for the second consecutive year. Australia captain Meg Lanning has clinched the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award, while England’s Katherine Brunt has won the ICC Spirit of Cricket award, for sportingly asking for a referral when a South Africa batter was adjudged to have been given out caught and the decision was subsequently reversed. PTI