ICC World Cup 2023 winning Captain, Pat Cummins won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2023. For Cummins the year 2023 was not less than a fairytale as he lifted the ICC WTC 2023 Trophy, retained the Ashes Trophy & won the World Cup title for the sixth time. Australian Captain overcame stringent competition from his teammate Travis Head, King Kohli & Ravindra Jadeja. Cummins finished the year with 422 runs and 59 wickets in 24 matches.
The Australian team didn’t have a dream start to 2023 as they lost the BGT 2023. But then the Australian Captain turned things around after their WTC 2023 success over India & then defended the Ashes 2023 trophy in England. Cummins’s highlight performance came during the Ashes 2023 where his pace attack against England reduced the opponent’s lead to just 10. During the second innings, he claimed a four-wicket haul to ensure Australia required less than 300 runs to clinch victory. When Australia found themselves at 192-6, Cummins played a valiant knock to guide his team to a remarkable victory.
Pat Cummins, ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2023
Cummins began the year 2023 with his second 10-wicket haul in the Test format. His stunning performance with the ball helped Australia win the Test series against Pakistan. But the stellar stood out with his captaincy skills in the final match of the ODI World Cup 2023. After winning the toss Cummins put India to bat first. His opposite captain Rohit Sharma helped India to give a positive start & was all set to take the game away from Australia. But then the mastermind Captain Cummins played his masterstroke by introducing Glenn Maxwell, in the first Powerplay itself. The move did miracles for India as Rohit mistimed a shot & was held by Travis Head.
Then Cummins did the unexpected by removing the in-form Shreyas Iyer in the next over. He later dismissed Kohli, the highest run-getter in the tournament, and stifled India’s batting with his disciplined bowling. It was Cummins’s tactical moves in terms of bowling changes and field placements that helped to restrict India to just 240 runs. Cummins finished with 2/34. In reply, Australia & CO surpassed all the hurdles & helped Australia to lift the title for the record sixth time. Cummins deserved all the positives & the coveted Cricketer of the Year 2023 Award as well.
Also read, Virat Kohli crowned ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer Of the Year 2023