Usman Khawaja named as the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year (2023)

[FearlessRoar]

ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year revealed
A re-born star of Australia's World Test

Championship side has been rewarded for a stellar 12 months in 2023.

Australia opener Usman Khawaja has continued his remarkable recent run by being named the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for 2023.

Khawaja edged out tough competition from teammate Travis Head, India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and England's Joe Root for the award following a successful year that culminated in Australia claiming their first ICC World Test Championship title.

Usman Khawaja in 2023

1210 runs in 13 matches

The year that was

Khawaja kicked off 2023 in splendid form, carrying forward his momentum from the previous year by notching a career-best score of 195* against South Africa.

The opener shined in the biggest test of his career – the away series against India where he finished as the top run-getter among both teams with 333 runs in four matches, which included a century and two fifties.

Undeterred by a pair of rare failires during the World Test Championship Final, Khawaja rebounded against England in the Ashes, finishing once again as the highest run-getter in the series with 496 runs.

The left-handed star finished the year on a high with three scores of 40+ against Pakistan.

With a grand total of 1210 runs, Khawaja stood alone as the sole player to breach the four-figure mark for Test runs in the challenging and rewarding year of 2023.

Memorable performance

Khawaja had two big tons against South Africa (195*) and India (180) but saved his best for arch-rivals England in the Ashes.

After a surprise declaration at 393/8 in the first innings of the opening Test, England managed to put pressure on Australia with early wickets.

Undeterred, Khawaja stitched crucial partnerships with Travis Head, Cameron Green and Alex Carey enroute to his century that helped Australia get close to England’s total.

Khawaja once again proved to be a thorn in England’s side after they set a target of 281 for the win. The southpaw once again batted deep with grit and determination for his 65 off 197 balls.

Although his departure left Australia at 209/7, Pat Cummins delivered a special performance – this time with the bat – to take Australia to a memorable Ashes victory.

For his century and fifty in the second innings, Khawaja took home the Player of the Match.

ICC

ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year revealed

A re-born star of Australia's World Test Championship side has been rewarded for a stellar 12 months in 2023.

www.icc-cricket.com

 

[MenInG]

Well deserved!

 

[Major]

As a Pakistani i feel proud. Probably the best overseas South Asian cricketer ever.

 

[Devadwal]

Congratulations ,well deserved .
now People are feeling Happy who were a day ago bashing The ICC for selecting ODI/ Test / T20 team of the years

 

[Suleiman]

So Pakistan did win something last year!!

 

[sweep_shot]

He deserved to win it.

He had a great year.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Congratulations ,well deserved .
now People are feeling Happy who were a day ago bashing The ICC for selecting ODI/ Test / T20 team of the years

Happiness is contagious.

One day ago the people who were sad at Rizwan, Babar and Shaheen winning awards for many years also became happy.

 

[MenInG]

This thread is about Usman Khawaja and his achievements.

We have another thread about subcontinental origin cricketers doing well in England and Australia.

 

[ahmadharis1]

Very well deserved he had a great year

 

[Statpadder Inc]

But anyway, congrats to usman. Well deserved

 

[Cricket Warrior]

His career took off in the very last stages of his career but no doubt, he showed his real class in Test cricket.

 

[jnaveen1980]

His career took off in the very last stages of his career but no doubt, he showed his real class in Test cricket.

Since he made debut Australia has played 135 Tests. He has played 71 of them. He was not a prodigy. A hardworking guy who made the most of his opportunities in the backend of his career.

 

[Forum363]

He should snub the award publicly after the way ICC treated him over the whole Palestine issue

 

[BouncerGuy]

Well-deserving guy who worked hard for this award and there was no one better than him this year to get that award.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Usman is delighted at what he has achieved in 2023.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1750728489769255115

 

[FearlessRoar]

The gritty innings of 75 (131) from Usman Khawaja has come to an end in the first innings for Australia. Usman Khawaja most often delivers and stands alone when the entire team collapses, and the same happened today in the second Test between Australia and West Indies.

 

[topspin]

Delighted for Usman Khawaja. Richly deserved..

 

[jnaveen1980]

World is slowly losing these dogged, spirited test batsmen. PUjara may be phased out. Elgar has retired. Khawaja won't play much.

 

[Mamoon]

As a Pakistani i feel proud.

He doesn’t associate this success with where he came from so there is no reason for Pakistani fans to be proud.

 

[Mamoon]

He should snub the award publicly after the way ICC treated him over the whole Palestine issue

ICC did nothing wrong. How hard is it to follow the rules?

 

[MenInG]

ICC did nothing wrong. How hard is it to follow the rules?

This thread is not about that.

 

[Major]

He doesn’t associate this success with where he came from so there is no reason for Pakistani fans to be proud.

Me may not associate with Pakistan.

But still for me, it is a proud fact that a guy born in Islamabad, who is Pakistani by birth won this award. I feel proud, why should it matter to anyone else?

 

[BouncerGuy]

Khawaja puts current Australia Test side on the all-time honours roll

Reigning ICC Men's Test Player of the Year Usman Khawaja believes his side is just as good as any Australian team to have previously graced the field.

Khawaja has played a major role in Australia's recent run of success in the longest format of the game, with the Aussies claiming their first ICC World Test Championship title against India at The Oval last year and then displacing Rohit Sharma's side as the No.1 ranked Test nation earlier this month.

While those accolades will stand the test of time, just where the current side sits in relation to previous Australian teams to have dominated against the red-ball is a point that can be debated time and again.

Can you judge Sir Donald Bradman and Ray Lindwall with modern contemporaries Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc? Is current first-choice spinner Nathan Lyon anywhere near as good as the great Shane Warne? Or how would former skippers Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh rate in comparison to current captain Pat Cummins?

Khawaja is old enough to remember the powerful Australian sides of the 1990s and early 2000s that dominated Test cricket, and the stylish left-hander thinks the current crop of players are at least on par with these excellent teams of the past.

"I think this current Australian team is as good as any other team that's played before," Khawaja boldly declared.

“I mean, you look at the bowlers that we have – Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon and then you mix it in with the batting, particularly the World Test Championship team that won it last year with David Warner and Steve Smith.

“I think it's as good as any of the other teams that I've grown up watching. And I don't say that lightly.”

Khawaja still remembers the team Waugh captained to a record 16 straight Test triumphs between October 1999 and February 2001 and the side led by Ponting between 2005 and 2008 that matched that effort of 16 consecutive Test wins.

Those Australian sides that dominated Test cricket around the turn of the century are littered with famous names and Khawaja knows how good they were.

"I've grown up watching some amazing Australian teams and I would never say we are better than any of them, never,” he said.

"Those amazing teams, especially of the early 2000s did some amazing feats. But this team, the balance, what it has, it's one of the strongest ones I've played in."

Khawaja's run of form with the bat was a major reason behind Australia’s successful World Test Championship run, with the 37-year-old scoring a total of 1621 runs during the 2021-2023 cycle to be second behind England's Joe Root for the most runs scored over the two-year period.

His resurgence back into Australia's Test side also culminated in claiming the ICC Test Player of the Year award last year, and the veteran believes the honour bestowed upon him is as high as anything he has previously achieved in cricket.

"It has to be probably the greatest honour that I've received," Khawaja said.

"It's not just in Australia, it's not domestic cricket, it's worldwide. When you look at the list of cricketers who've won the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year, (Kumar) Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, some of the greats of the game and it's quite humbling to have won the same trophy.

"If you had told me any time in my career, particularly two years ago that I'd be winning ICC Test Cricketer of the Year, I would have laughed in your face. It's something, I think it's probably going to be one of the most cherishing awards that I have in my career."

ICC

 

[Spitfire]

Having read the entire thread. The common theme seems to be that Pakistanis seem to be celebrating this more than the Aussies. I fail to find a tangible connection though.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Having read the entire thread. The common theme seems to be that Pakistanis seem to be celebrating this more than the Aussies. I fail to find a tangible connection though.

Well i think we have 1-2 posters on the forum from Australia. The rest are mainly Pakistanis. So it would make sense for Pakistanis to be more visible in this thread.