Explaining the merit behind the ICC Awards for 2015

The winners of the ICC Awards for 2015 have been announced with individuals getting awarded across 10 different categories. The judgement is based on performances during the voting period which began on 18 September 2014 and ended on 13 September 2015.Although it must have been a tough ask to pick the best from among so many incredible performers, the voting panel has perhaps managed to choose the most deserving candidates. All the winners have done exceedingly well in the time period considering which the decision has been made.Here is our breakdown of the ICC Awards as we look to explain the merit behind them:

#1 ICC Cricketer of the Year - Steve Smith (Australia)

Steve Smith has had phenomenal success of late

Australian skipper Steve Smith bagged the prestigious ICC Cricketer of the Year award for 2015 and this makes him the fourth player from his country to do so. Smith has been in stupendous form with the bat in the past couple of years or so and has performed brilliantly in both Tests as well as ODIs.

During the voting period, the prolific Aussie scored 1,734 runs in Tests and 1,249 runs in ODIs at averages of 82.57 and 59.47 respectively. This included 7 centuries in Tests and 4 in ODIs.

Steve Smith also led the Australian team successfully in three Tests of the 2014/15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the absence of regular skipper Michael Clarke. Post Clarke’s retirement in August 2015, Smith was appointed as full-time captain of his national side.

He was also part of Australia’s ICC World Cup winning campaign this year and ended up being his team’s leading run scorer with 402 runs in the tournament. All these factors played their part in helping Steve Smith become the ICC Cricketer of the Year.

#2 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Steve Smith (Australia)

Steve Smith has managed to get hold of both the top honours at the ICC Awards

Apart from being the Cricketer of the Year, Steve Smith has also received another big award in the form of the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award. His form in Tests played during the voting period was absolutely incredible, to say the least.

In the 13 Tests that he played, Smith scored 1,734 runs in 25 innings at an average of 82.57 and 7 centuries to show for his efforts. His highest score during the near 12-month period was 215 against England at Lord’s, which was part of a 405-run victory for Australia.

None of Steve Smith’s 7 hundreds came in a loss for the Aussies. He was at his best in the Test series against India scoring 769 runs in 4 matches at an average of 128.16 including 4 hundreds. Smith had a pretty decent Ashes series too and emerged as the overall leading run scorer with 508 runs.

#3 ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year AB de Villiers (South Africa)

De Villiers exults after scoring the fastest century ever

South Africa’s ODI skipper and arguably the best batsman in the world at present, AB de Villiers, won the ICC Award for ODI Cricketer of the Year. He has been on a record-breaking spree this year as he scored the fastest 50, 100 and 150 of all time in ODIs, all within a span of 40 days.

De Villiers’ ODI batting statistics during the voting period show that he has scored 1,265 runs in 20 innings at an average of 79.06 and a jaw-dropping strike rate of a shade above 128. Both his centuries came against West Indies and featured all three of his record feats.

Another staggering stat about AB de Villiers’ batting in the voting period is that he had just one single-digit score in the 20 innings he played. He was also South Africa’s top run scorer in the 2015 ICC World Cup with 482 runs at an average slightly in excess of 96.

#4 ICC Womens ODI Cricketer of the Year Meg Lanning (Australia)

Meg Lanning has been one of the most prolific women batters in ODIs

Meg Lanning, Australia’s skipper in women’s ODI cricket, has been named as the Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year. The right-hand batter was in incredible form during the voting period as she scored 531 runs in merely 7 matches at a phenomenal average of 88-plus.

Lanning hit 2 centuries and 5 fifties with a highest score of 135 not out against West Indies Women in November last year. She also had a successful time as ODI captain in the voting period as Australia won 6 out of the 7 matches that they played.

Meg Lanning is the third Australian women’s cricketer to win the Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year title at the ICC Awards.

#5 ICC Womens T20I Cricketer of the Year Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)

Stafanie Taylor has been one of the best women batters for quite a few years

Stafanie Taylor is no stranger to awards as she has already received the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award twice. This time around, though, she has bagged the award for ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year at the ICC Awards.

During the voting period which lasted between 18 September 2014 and 13 September 2015, Taylor scored 340 runs in 9 womens’ T20Is at an average of 42.50 and a strike rate of just under 106. This included 3 half-centuries and a highest score of 78 which she got against Australia Women.

#6 ICC T20I Performance of the Year Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Faf du Plessis scored 119 off 56 in a T20I against West Indies

The ICC T20I Performance of the Year award went to South Africa’s T20I skipper Faf du Plessis for his 119 off 56 deliveries against West Indies at Johannesburg in January this year. Although he helped his team get to a mammoth total of 231, it was not enough as Chris Gayle’s 90 from 41 balls allowed West Indies to chase down the total.

Nevertheless, it was an incredible innings from du Plessis as he pulled his team out of trouble at 21 for 2 and put them in a commanding position by the time he ended. He hit 5 sixes and 11 fours in his knock and shared a 105-run third wicket partnership with teammate David Miller.

Faf du Plessis may have been disappointed at losing the match but will be slightly happier now that he has won an award for his innings.

#7 ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year Josh Hazlewood (Australia)

Josh Hazlewood nudged out some tough opposition to win the award

Young Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood became the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year at the ICC Awards. Although Pakistan’s Yasir Shah would have been the primary contender for the award had it not been for his age, Hazlewood was surely the next best choice.

The tall fast bowler was a consistent performer for Australia in both Test and ODIs during the voting period. In 9 Test matches, Hazlewood picked up 40 wickets at an average of 21.75 with a best of 5 for 38 against West Indies. The 50-over format saw him claim 18 wickets in 11 games with figures of 5 for 31 in an ODI against South Africa.

Josh Hazlewood took 2 Test five-wicket hauls in the voting period and both came in matches won by Australia. This is the first occasion in 6 years that an Australian has won the Emerging Cricketer of the Year award, the last being Peter Siddle in 2009.

#8 ICC Associate/Affiliate Cricketer of the Year Khurram Khan (UAE)

Khurram Khan is the first player from his country to win the award

UAE’s left-handed middle order batsman Khurram Khan has received the ICC Associate/Affiliate Cricketer of the Year award for 2015. This is due to his exploits with the bat in ODI cricket during the voting period.

With 425 runs in 9 ODIs at an average of above 60, Khan was the highest run scorer among players outside the 10 Test playing nations. The southpaw scored a century and 2 fifties and had a highest score of 132 not out, which also happens to be his career best.

The 44-year-old Khurram Khan became the very first player from the UAE to win this prestigious award for cricketers from non-Test playing countries.

#9 ICC Spirit of Cricket Award Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)

McCullum and his team have upheld the spirit of the game in the recent past

Just a day after Brendon McCullum announced his retirement from the game, he ended up getting the ICC Spirit of Cricket award for 2015. McCullum received the award for motivating his teammates to play cricket in its true spirit.

The greatest example of this came during the 2015 ICC World Cup when Baz, as Brendon McCullum is fondly known, invited South African skipper AB de Villiers and his team to the Kiwi dressing room post a tight semi-final match between the two. This was a fine gesture considering New Zealand had emerged victorious in the encounter.

This is certainly not the first time a New Zealand cricketer claimed the Spirit of Cricket award as Daniel Vettori got it in 2012.

#10 ICC Umpire of the Year Richard Kettleborough

Kettleborough is one of the most respected umpires in world cricket today

English umpire Richard Kettleborough won his third straight ICC Umpire of the Year award at the 2015 ICC Awards. Apart from Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar, he is the only umpire to have completed a hat-trick of Umpire of the Year awards.

Kettleborough is among the most respected umpires in the cricketing world and did a fine job during the voting period. He was one of the umpires at the 2015 ICC World Cup and officiated in some high-profile matches including the India-Australia semi-final and the final between the two host nations.

What stands out about Richard Kettleborough is the fact that he was inducted into the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires only in 2011 and has already claimed the Umpire of the Year title three times.