ESPN Cricinfo Award: Pant wins ‘Test Batting Award’, Williamson ‘Captain of the Year’

New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant managed to bag the top ‘Test batting’ award at the 15th annual ESPNcricinfo Awards for his 89-run series-winning knock against Australia in Brisbane last year while New Zealand’s Captain Kane Williamson was named ‘Captain of the Year’.

Kyle Jamieson won the ‘Test Bowling’ (Best Test Bowler) award. Helping New Zealand become the first World Test champion, taking five for 31.

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Pant led India to an impossible victory in the final moments of the final Test against Australia

Pant led India to an impossible victory in the final moments of the final Test against Australia. As the team registered a resounding 2-1 victory in the series. No one expected India to win this match as many of the team’s first-choice players were suffering from injuries then.

Williamson got the challenge of Virat Kohli, Babar Azam and Aaron Finch for the award. But he got this award for helping his team win the World Test Championship. And then runner-up in the T20 World Cup.

England pacer Ollie Robinson received the ‘Debutant of the Year’ award for taking 37 wickets in eight Tests. Making him the country’s second highest wicket-taker in Tests in 2021.

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Only Rishabh got the award for India

The England men’s team did not have such a good year, yet managed to win three awards. Only Pant got the award for India.

Saqib Mahmood received the top ODI bowling award for taking four for 42 in their nine-wicket win over Pakistan. Jos Buttler won the T20 International Batting Award for his unbeaten 101 off 67 balls against Sri Lanka. In the T20 World Cup in Sharjah on a challenging pitch.

The ODI batting and T20 International batting awards went to Pakistan. Fakhar Zaman batted while Shaheen Afridi won the bowling award.

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The jury for the awards included former players Daniel Vettori, Ian Bishop, Tom Moody, Ajit Agarkar, Lisa Sthalekar, Daryl Cullinan, Russell Arnold, Darren Ganga, Shahryar Nafees, Bajid Khan and Mark Nicholls, and ESPNcricinfo senior editors and writers who worked on the previous calendar. Selected the best performances in all three international formats for men and women and associate cricket in the year.