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Steve Smith claims ICC Test top gong for 2017

Australia captain Steve Smith enjoyed a stellar 2017 in the Test arena.

Australia captain Steve Smith enjoyed a stellar 2017 in the Test arena. AAP/Trevor Collens

Australia captain Steve Smith has won the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) men’s Test player of the year award for a second time, but been beaten to the top prize by India’s Virat Kohli.

Smith scored six hundreds last year in just 11 Tests, averaging 76.76 to reclaim the title he first won in 2015.

But Kohli’s returns against the white and red ball were enough to win the men’s one-day international player of the year and world cricketer of the year for 2017.

“It’s called Test cricket for a reason, and I’ve enjoyed that test of my ability over the past 12 months,” Smith said.

“I was pleased with the way I played but what pleased me most of all was that I helped us win Tests and, most importantly, the Ashes.”

Smith has been named in the ICC men’s Test team alongside teammates David Warner and Mitchell Starc.

Warner was the only Australian to be selected in the men’s ODI team.

It is the first time since 2011 that the winner of the men’s Test player of the year award was not also crowned cricketer of the year.

Kohli scored 1460 ODI runs at 76 last year and was also the fourth-highest Test run-scorer.

Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc was named alongside Steve Smith and David Warner in the Test team of the year.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes was named in the Test and ODI teams of 2017.

The 26-year-old, who will be considered for international selection while he awaits trial for affray, joins James Anderson in the Test XI but is the only English representative in the ODI line-up.

Stokes is one of four players to feature in both teams, alongside Kohli, Warner and South Africa’s wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock.

Test team of the year: Dean Elgar, David Warner, Virat Kohli (captain), Steven Smith, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ben Stokes, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, Kagiso Rabada, James Anderson

ODI team of the year: David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (captain), Babar Azam, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, Trent Boult, Hasan Ali, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah

-AAP

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