Off-spinner of Indian Cricket Team – Ravichandran Ashwin received Garfield Sobers Trophy for being named the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year as well as ICC Cricketer of the Year. After getting the trophy, R Ashwin said that it has been a great honour to be named by the ICC for two top awards. R Ashwin had finished 2015 as the number-one ranked Test bowler in the world. Ashwin further said that I always have helped the team do well during this period. In all formats of cricket, we have a great unit.
R Ashwin receives Two Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy
The voting period ran from 14th September 2015 to 20th September 2016. During the voting period, R Ashwin( 30-year-old) from Chennai played 8 Tests. In these 8 tests, he took 48 wickets and scored 336 runs. Ashwin also claimed 27 wickets in 19 T20Is.
On receiving the awards, he said that I would like to thank all team members, team management and support staff for helping me perform. I thank my family and also would like to remember my uncle who passed away suddenly during this game. The family of my uncle has also been a pillar of support all these years.
He said that ICC is doing good work by recognizing and encouraging players with these awards. I thank ICC because such moments always remain in one’s memory. The former India captain Kapil Dev, who presented the ICC Cricketer of the Year to Ashwin, congratulated the spinner.
Kapil dev said that Ashwin has shown his penchant for winning Test matches time and again. He has played a big part in India becoming the top-ranked Test side. Ashwin is a big asset for the Indian team because he is useful with the bat and is a thinking all-rounder. I am sure he will have a lot many successes in the coming years and help India win many more matches.
The former Indian Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar also presented the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award to Ashwin and said that India has always produced some of the finest spin bowlers seen in the game. R Jadeja and R Ashwin are the latest bowlers in the Indian Cricket team who are upholding that wonderful tradition.
Sunil Gavaskar further said that it is never easy for a spinner to make the adjustments required for the different formats of the game. In particular, Ashwin has made these changes seemingly without any effort and continues to pick wickets in all formats of the game.
David Richardson who is ICC Chief Executive said that Ravichandran Ashwin has shown time and again that he is a match-winner in the true sense. I congratulate him for joining a select band of cricketers to have won these two top ICC awards.
