ESPNcricinfo Awards 2014
ESPNcricinfo Awards 2014: Test awards for McCullum and Johnson
Brendon McCullum's match-saving 302 against India in Wellington has been voted the top Test batting performance of 2014 at the eighth annual ESPNcricinfo Awards, announced on Thursday. The Test bowling award went to Australia's Mitchell Johnson, for his 7 for 68 against South Africa in Centurion.
Rohit Sharma, who broke a world record with his monumental 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, took the award for the best ODI batting performance. The top ODI bowling performance was Lasith Malinga's 5 for 56, which helped Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in Mirpur.
The ESPNcricinfo Awards honour the best batting and bowling performances across the international formats of the game for the calendar year. They were decided by a jury of former players - among them, Ricky Ponting, Ian Chappell, Martin Crowe, Michael Holding, Graeme Smith, Daryll Cullinan and Mark Butcher - and ESPNcricinfo's senior writers and editors.
McCullum became the first New Zealander to score a triple-century in Tests, which came when New Zealand looked in danger of surrendering their 1-0 lead in the two-Test series. McCullum, in partnership with BJ Watling (124) and Jimmy Neesham (137) ensured the series stayed with the hosts, following a high-scoring draw.
Johnson's spell against South Africa came straight after the Ashes in Australia, the series in which he rediscovered himself as a fast bowler. His savagery in Centurion bundled out South Africa for 206 in the first Test and set Australia on the path to a Test and series win. It was his second ESPNcricinfo Award in the category in consecutive years.
Rohit's innings in Kolkata came in his return match from injury. He began cautiously, was fortunate to be dropped in the outfield early in his innings, and went on to score his second ODI double-hundred, smashing 33 fours and nine sixes. Incidentally, his first double-hundred in the format won the ODI Batting award for 2013. Malinga too is a former ESPNcricinfo Award winner. Other previous winners include Dale Steyn, Virender Sehwag, Shahid Afridi and Kumar Sangakkara.
In the T20 category, England's Alex Hales took the award for the best batting performance with his unbeaten 116 against Sri Lanka in the World T20 in Bangladesh. In the same tournament, Rangana Herath's 5 for 3 against New Zealand was the jury's choice for the best bowling performance.
Sri Lankan players have figured prominently across award categories in 2014, including the Statsguru Awards, which recognises consistency in performances. Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews swept three awards - Batsman of the Year, Best Test Batsman and Most Consistent Test Batsman. It was reward for aggregating more than 1200 runs each in Tests and ODIs. Herath was named the Best Test Bowler.
I hope you all realize these awards are for achievements in 2014. So bringing AB's innings of 149 into discussion is absolutely pointless as he smashed it in 2015.
As much as Mathews played well at times, McCullum would still have to be the best test batman. Anyone that scores 224, 302, 202 and 195 with three of those performances leading to test wins and one saving a test series deserves a lot more than just recognition for a single performance.
In my opinion Mathews seems gutless, batting and bowling for his averages and this should count against him. This was illustrated in the matches in New Zealand. When his bowlers were getting slaughtered in the 1st test vs McCullum, he bowled only 12 overs and then in the 1st match in the World Cup he bowled 6 overs while his opening bowlers went for over 8-an-over. Even when he batted he made no attempt to score quickly.
For a man that has scored only four hundreds in his
Hague??? Come on!!!! Good call on all of the decisions. I imagine AB's innings came close but against really poor opposition at a small ground. Misbah's innings against Australia must have come close but it was against a team on the ropes batting on the flattest wicket in the world, so had that against him. Well done all players, what a great game we get to witness!!
It's great to see NZ building a great team as well as individuals doing so well. Where are all the England fans who were saying Mitch sprays it everywhere? He's one of the most devastating bowlers to have ever played the game and I can't wait to see him tear England apart again,
Why is it that whenever there's an awards thing we have to get people going hyperbole about someone not getting the award? Also these awards are based on individual match performances and not the whole year. Rohit's whole season would not have merited the award but it is the highest ODI inns in history. Of course you could argue ABs super fast 149 was more worthy but they are both superb in their own rights and no one should cry one way or the other when such great individual performances justify the awards
One_World you are not seriously comparing Mominul Haque with Bradman? I know a lot of Bangladesh supporters only see what the want to but this takes the cake! Look at Haque's stats again, what is his average outside the sub continent? 20? 30? In fact what is his average outside the road of Chittagong? He isn't half the player that Kane WIlliamson, Joe Root, Virat Kohli, David Warner, Steve Smith etc etc etc are. Maybe one day but I very much doubt it.
Misbah was the one should get the award as test batsman for making the record against Australia.
First off, thanks to ESPN for providing a great platform to discuss all things Cricket!. Just wondering: Is there a best wicket keeper category? and should it take into account batting qualities for a wicket keeper? Since I couldn't find such category, I am guessing it's a little complicated for the ESPN staff to decide. Same can be said regarding a best allrounder, or a best fielder, etc.
Fair choices. Congratulations to the winners!!
Agree with Meroz Khan, and where is Mominul Haque, the highest average right after Bradman. Good luck to break that record in coming years.