Australian skipper Pat Cummins was recognized for his outstanding contributions throughout 2023 being named ICC Player of the Year. Travis Head, Cummins’ teammate, and Indian stars Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja were also nominees for the prestigious ICC Award.
His leadership guided Australia to triumphs in the Ashes, World Test Championship 2021-23, and the ODI World Cup 2023. Beyond his captaincy, Cummins made significant individual contributions, delivering crucial runs in the lower order and taking important wickets, thereby enhancing the team’s balance and depth.
“It’s a huge honour. It has been a big year, lots of wonderful team success. To get this individual honour is huge and I am pretty amazed. In terms of individual accolades, it is right up there,” Cummins was quoted as saying by ICC.
Cummins praised the consistency of Kohli and Jadeja, acknowledging their ability to rescue their teams from challenging situations. He expressed the honor of being in the company of such remarkable players. Reflecting on Australia’s successes in 2023, Cummins highlighted the World Cup final as the most memorable victory, considering the significance of playing in India.
“Jadeja and Kohli are both super consistent. They find a way to drag their team out of trouble and win it for them, so to win alongside those guys is really special,” he added.
Despite individual achievements, both Cummins and Jadeja faced defeats in recent Test matches – Australia against West Indies and India against England, while Kohli is on a break for personal reasons, expected to join the Indian camp for the third Test against England.