DIMUTH KARUNARATNE NAMED IN ICC TEST TEAM OF THE YEAR – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE

Stylish Sri Lanka Opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne capped off a great year with the bat to be named in the ICC Test team of the year, 2018, the only Lankan to gain recognition for consistent performances.

Karunaratne is currently ranked sixth in the ICC world batting rankings after sterling performances with the bat particularly in the home series against South Africa where he once outscored the entire South African score in a winning Sri Lanka effort.

The talented Sri Lankan opener was named alongside New Zealander Tom Latham to open the innings in a star-studded lineup led by India’s dynamic skipper Virat Kholi.

Karunaratne has shown the makings of a solid option to a Sri Lanka outfit struggling for consistency and needs a player of similar temperament to solidify the opening slot in the team currently touring Australia. He made his debut for his country in 2012 and has now matured as a key in Sri Lanka’s rebuilding process.

His form down under will be key to Sri Lanka’s performances in the two Test series which begins at the Gabba on January 24.
An ICC press release to the Lanka Times in Melbourne and eLanka website in Australia is as follows.

ICC ANNOUNCES MEN’S TEST AND ODI TEAMS OF THE YEAR
• Kohli named captain of both teams picked on basis of performances in 2018
• Three players each from India and New Zealand in Test team; four each from India and England in ODI side
The International Cricket Council today announced the men’s Test and ODI teams of the year with Virat Kohli named captain of both sides following a remarkable 2018 as batsman and skipper.

The awards, which honour performances during a calendar year, saw the India captain Kohli walk into both sides which were selected by the ICC Voting Academy* comprising former players, members of the media and broadcasters.
Kohli’s 1,322 runs at an average of 55.08 with five centuries in 13 Tests and 1,202 runs at an astounding average of 133.55 with six hundreds in 14 ODIs saw him selected to both sides by every voting member of the Academy with the majority of them also opting to name him at the helm of each.

Kohli also ended 2018 as the top-ranked Test and ODI batsman in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings while his side finished the year as the top-ranked side in Tests and number two behind England in ODIs.

India won six Tests and lost seven during the voting period that ran from 1 January to 31 December 2018 and included victories in South Africa, England and Australia, as also some other close matches in away series. In ODIs, Kohli led India to nine victories, with four losses and one tied match.

India captain Virat Kohli said: “It has been an amazing year. I was able to play in a manner that I would not have imagined. If the intention is right and you keep working hard, the results are there in front of your own eyes. The intent has always to be helping your team at any cost, that is when these performances come by and you are pushing yourself to the limit, which you otherwise will not be able to. That is something I experienced in 2018 a lot.”

The Test team also features his compatriots, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who is the only player apart from Kohli to feature in both sides. New Zealand also has three players in the Test squad with captain Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls and opener Tom Latham selected. Five other nations make up the remainder of the Test team – Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), Jason Holder (Windies), top-ranked Kagiso Rabada (South Africa), Nathan Lyon (Australia) and Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan).

The ODI team has opener Rohit Sharma, spinner Kuldeep Yadav and Bumrah from India along with captain Kohli, while England are represented by Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), top-ranked Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) and Ross Taylor (New Zealand) complete the ICC ODI XI.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said: “This looks like an individual piece of recognition but it is much more about the team. Both of the other two who have been fortunate enough to be named in the eleven, I am sure, would agree that as a group we have been growing for a period of time – as a Test unit. It is great that the guys have been looking to play their roles as best as they can. The Test team has been tracking nicely.”
Joe Root said: “It feels really great to be named in the ICC ODI squad and the fact that three of my team-mates are there along with me, makes it extra special. We had a fine year and expectations are on the rise as we look forward to playing the ICC Cricket World Cup at home this year. I thank the ICC for the honour and to the jury for taking the effort to go through the elaborate process.”

ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year (in batting order):
1. Tom Latham (New Zealand)
2. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)
3. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
4. Virat Kohli (India) (capt)
5. Henry Nicholls (New Zealand)
6. Rishabh Pant (India) (wk)
7. Jason Holder (Windies)
8. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
9. Nathan Lyon (Australia)
10. Jasprit Bumrah (India)
11. Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan)

ICC Men’s ODI team of the year (in batting order):
1. Rohit Sharma (India)
2. Jonny Bairstow (England)
3. Virat Kohli (India) (capt)
4. Joe Root (England)
5. Ross Taylor (New Zealand)
6. Jos Buttler (England) (wk)
7. Ben Stokes (England)
8. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
9. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
10. Kuldeep Yadav (India)
11. Jasprit Bumrah (India)

The ICC individual men’s awards will be announced later today.
*The voting academy was: Javed Hamid Kakar, Emal Pasarly (Afghanistan); Lisa Sthalekar, Andrew Wu, Mike Hussey (Australia) Utpal Shuvro, M. Farid Ahmed, Athar Ali Khan (Bangladesh); Julian Guyer, Lawrence Booth, Nasser Hussain (England); Deep Dasgupta, Sunandan Lele, Jasvinder Sidhu (India); Ian Callendar, Barry Chambers (Ireland); Mark Geenty, Ian Smith (New Zealand); Peter Borren (Netherlands); Ramiz Raja, Abdul Mohi Shah, Mazhar Arshad, Bazid Khan (Pakistan); Shaun Pollock, Neil Manthorp, Firdose Moonda (South Africa); Saroj Pathirana, Russel Arnold, Rex Clementine (Sri Lanka); Peter Della Penna (USA), Ian Bishop, Barry Wilkinson, Vinode Mamchan (West Indies); Trisan Holme, Mehluli Sibanda, Mpumelelo Mbangwa (Zimbabwe).