5 players who deserved the ICC Cricketer of the Year award more than Michael Clarke

5. AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers

The presence of three Proteas in this list probably gives you an idea of how dominant they’ve been, more so in Test cricket. But, with de Villiers, ask yourself a question. How can someone average 82 in tests, 50+ in ODIs over a year, and yet be overlooked for the award?

That is what has happened with de Villiers. The captaincy of the ODI side, seems to have been more a catalyst to de Villiers’s performances than a burden. As a crucial part of their middle order, de Villiers has delivered almost whenever he has been called upon, and we can expect him to continue this trend for a while. But, in 2013, on hindsight, he probably deserved that award more than Clarke.