Australian Test opener Usman Khawaja has been named the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for 2023, adding to his impressive recent performances in Test cricket.
Khawaja won the award over strong contenders like his teammate Travis Head, India’s spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, and England’s Joe Root. This recognition comes after a great year for him, during which Australia secured their first-ever ICC World Test Championship title.
The 37-year-old batter had an impressive year in red-ball format, scoring 1,210 runs in 13 matches.
Khawaja began 2023 in excellent form, achieving a career-best score of 195* against South Africa. He performed exceptionally well in the crucial series against India, emerging as the top run-scorer with 333 runs in four matches, including a century and two fifties.
Khawaja was also part of the team when his side clinched the title of the ICC World Test Championship. Despite facing challenges during the World Test Championship Final, Khawaja bounced back strongly in the Ashes against England, finishing as the leading run-scorer once again with 496 runs.
Ending the year on a positive note, the left-hander scored three times above 40 against Pakistan. Khawaja’s outstanding performances throughout the year resulted in a total of 1210 runs, making him the only player to surpass the 1000-run mark in Test cricket in 2023.
