Ben Stokes named ICC Men's Test cricketer of the year

Ben Stokes, the captain of England, was recognised for his outstanding leadership in red-ball cricket by being named the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year 2022. In Test cricket in 2022, Stokes amassed 870 runs at an average of 36.25 and 26 wickets at a strike rate of 31.19.

The form, fortunes, and style of the England Men's Test team were completely changed by Stokes and the new England head coach Brendon McCullum.

In the past, players and teams have played aggressive cricket. Stokes, however, has brought England's lively and combative style with bat, ball, and on the field to a new level with his ongoing devotion.

Since taking over as captain, Stokes has guided England to nine victories from ten Test matches, completing series wins over New Zealand and South Africa at home, defeating India in the lone postponed Test to level the series at 2-2, and thrashing Pakistan 3-0 away from home — England's largest margin of victory in a foreign nation.

England had lost all four of their most recent completed series before he was named captain, and they had won just one of their previous 17 Test matches.

As a captain, Stokes was incredibly effective, using his fields to lay nifty traps and his bowlers to great effect all season. Additionally, he was fair but firm in his selection choices, bringing in fresh talent when necessary but not being hesitant to leave out players when the circumstances called for it.

Stokes had a productive year with the bat in 2022, accumulating 870 runs at an efficient strike rate of 71.21 and an average of 36.25 while notching two hundreds.

The best performance of his year was his first-innings 103 in the second Test against South Africa, which gave his team momentum after their lone Test defeat during the English summer.