England captain Joe Root has been named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year after scoring 1,708 runs in 15 matches in 2021.

Root’s tally is the third-highest total in a calendar year, with only former Pakistan player Mohammad Yousuf and West Indies great Viv Richards ahead of him.

Root registered two double centuries and a further four hundreds, including three in successive Tests against India during England’s home series.

“I am incredibly proud to receive this award,” said the 31-year-old, only the second Englishman to win the accolade after Alastair Cook in 2011.

“I am very humbled to be mentioned in the same breath as a number of wonderful players around the world and it means a huge amount.”

He added: “If there was one hundred that really sticks out it would probably be in Chennai against India, the first Test match of that series [he scored 218]. With it being my 100th game, it is something that will live long in the memory.”

Despite Root’s personal achievements, England had a poor year in Test cricket, winning just four out of their 15 matches.

They lost the Ashes in Australia – where Root failed to score a century – and also lost series against India and New Zealand.

New Zealand bowler Kyle Jamieson, Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne and India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin were the other nominees for the award.

India’s Smriti Mandhana won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year.

She scored 855 runs in 22 internationals at an average of 38.86, with one century and five half-centuries.

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