ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2024：All Nominees You Need to Know

The International Cricket Council has announced the nominees for the world-renowned ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2024. The 2024 ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year nominees combine a host of seasoned players, Joe Root and Harry Brook, fine batsmen from England, Jasprit Bumrah, India’s pace maestro, and Kamindu Mendis, Sri Lanka’s emerging batting star. Now, let’s take a closer look at the nominees and their brilliant displays in 2024.

Contents

1 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2024 Nominees
2 Who Will Be 2024 ICC Men’s Test Cricketer？

ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2024 Nominees

Joe Root

Joe Root once again demonstrated why he is considered one of the finest Test batters of this generation. The former England cricket team captain amassed 1,556 runs in 17 matches at an average of 55.57, surpassing the 1,000-run yearly milestone for the fifth time in his career. The consistency that Root maintained throughout the year had six centuries and raised his tally to 36 in a career, putting him alongside Rahul Dravid as the fifth-highest run-scorer on the all-time list and sealing him a spot amongst the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2024 nominees.

The pinnacle performance, however, came against Pakistan at Multan, where he scored a career-best 262. That six-hour-long knock was England’s innings and 47-run win. Apart from his batting contribution, Root performed excellently as a bowler when he took back-to-back key wickets in crucial dispositions- this shows how complete and valuable a player he is.

Jasprit Bumrah

After a lengthy injury layoff in 2023, Jasprit Bumrah made a sweeping comeback in 2024 with a successful year in Tests. The Indian pacer finished the year by taking 71 wickets in just the 13 Tests at a meager 14.92, a record for the year’s leading wicket-taker. Bumrah was never phased by varying conditions, either in the pace-friendly tracks in Australia or spin-friendly pitches in India, making him a worthy contender for the 2024 ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year.

Bumrah’s best came in the first test against Australia in Perth. Replacing Rohit Sharma as captain, he led from the front. After India was rolled for just 150, he decimated the Australian batting line-up in the first innings, taking five wickets, with three more in the second. His efforts clinched a historic 295-run victory for India national cricket team, earning him the Player of the Match award and elevating him back to the top of the ICC Test Bowling Rankings.

Harry Brook

Having further transformed England’s aggressive “Baz-Ball” style in 2024, Harry Brook made 1,100 runs in 12 Tests, at a strike rate of 85.00, with four centuries and three fifties. Of course, Brook’s breathtaking 317 off 322 deliveries was the highlight of his year, securing him a place among the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2024 nominees.

Brook’s away-from-home exploits have been particularly impressive, with a whopping 70% of his runs made in overseas conditions. His innings in Multan, wherein he partnered with Joe Root to script an enormous innings victory, firmly established him as one of Test cricket’s most exciting young talents. He topped the ICC Test Batting Rankings by the end of the year, having eclipsed his illustrious teammate Root.

Kamindu Mendis

Kamindu Mendis was a revelation for the Sri Lanka national cricket team in 2024. He became a vital cog in their middle order, amassing 1,049 runs at an average of 74.92; he was the highest among batters who played more than two games this year and scored well over 400 in a row. It was a testament to his consistency that Mendis had five centuries, including two hundred in a home series against New Zealand.

His career-best innings of 182 came at Galle, where he turned the match into a series-clinching victory with grit and flamboyance. His great ability to stay at the crease with such pacification while accelerating towards the end made him a standout performer, enough to become one of the shortlisted candidates for the 2024 ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year accolade.

Who Will Be 2024 ICC Men’s Test Cricketer？

The ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2024 nominees capture all the individual excellence in the longest format of the game. From Joe Root’s exquisite consistency to Jasprit Bumrah’s fiery returns, Harry Brook’s brave batting, and Kamindu Mendis’ hasty rise, everyone has left an indelible mark on the year. These performances will remain immortalized in the history of Test format as cricket fans worldwide eagerly await the announcement of the names.