Herath named in ICC Test team of the year

Spin-wizard Rangana Herath was named in the ICC Test team of the year 2016 captained by Englishman Alastair Cook. He is the only Sri Lankan to be named in either Test or ODI team announced by the International Cricket Council today as no other Sri Lanka had impressed the selection panel.

Former Test stalwarts Rahul Dravid, Gary Kirsten and Kumar Sangakkara selected the sides based on players’ performances in the period from 14 September 2015 to 20 September 2016.
The Test team includes four Englishmen, three Australians, and a player each from New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Herath has picked up 61 wickets at an impressive 17.11 in his last ten test matches including a best of 8 for 63 against Zimbabwe last month.
 
 This is the third time Cook has been appointed captain of the Test side, while it the eighth time in nine years that Dale Steyn has been selected. Joe Root, David Warner and Kane Williamson have been chosen for the third successive year.
 
Meanwhile Virat Kohli has been named as captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year, which includes three Australians, Indians, South Africans each, and one each from England and West Indies. De Villiers has been selected for the sixth time since 2010, while Starc has been picked up for the third time in four years.
Starc and his team-mate Warner are the only two players to have been selected in both the Test and ODI sides in 2016.
 
ICC Test Team of the Year 2016 (in batting order) is:
 
1.     David Warner (Australia)
2.     Alastair Cook (England) (captain)    
3.     Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
4.     Joe Root (England)
5.     Adam Voges (Australia)
6.     Jonny Bairstow (England) (wicketkeeper)
7.     Ben Stokes (England)
8.     R. Ashwin (India)
9.     Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)
10.  Mitchell Starc (Australia)
11.  Dale Steyn (South Africa)
12.  Steve Smith (Australia)
 
ICC ODI Team of the Year 2016 (in batting order) is:
 
1.     David Warner (Australia)
2.     Quinton de Kock (South Africa) (wicketkeeper)
3.     Rohit Sharma (India)
4.     Virat Kohli (India) (captain)
5.     AB de Villiers (South Africa)
6.     Jos Buttler (England)
7.     Mitchell Marsh (Australia)
8.     Ravindra Jadeja (India)
9.     Mitchell Starc (Australia)
10.  Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
11.  Sunil Narine (West Indies)
12.  Imran Tahir (South Africa)