2023 BBC Test team of the year:
1. Usman Khawaja (Australia, 93%)
2. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka, 55%)
3. Joe Root (England, 82%)
4. Kane Williamson (New Zealand, 58%)
5. Virat Kohli (India, 54%)
6. Ben Stokes (England, 55%)
7. Jonny Bairstow (England, 49%)
8. Ravindra Jadeja (India, 51%)
9. Pat Cummins (Australia, 74%)
10. Stuart Broad (England, 81%)
11. Mitchell Starc (Australia, 75%)
Those who narrowly missed out: Harry Brook (England, 48%), Travis Head (Australia, 46%), Ravichandran Ashwin (India, 47%), Nathan Lyon (Australia, 70%)
The percentages represent the number of people voting for each player. How that results in Jadeja with 51% getting in ahead of Lyon with 70% and more wickets for the year is not clear 🤔
And then there’s the wicketkeeper 🙄
I guess it shows that the BBC and its audience aren’t great judges of cricketers.
It is the BBC, they think of English players first as they cover all of their games. But Bairstow? Must be trying to ruffle Aussie feathers with that one. His batting isn't that great and there are better keeps out there, definitely. Carey, for example, is a brilliant gloveman.
Root and Stokes probably deserve their spots but Bairstow and Broad? 🙄
So I gather this is the BBC Test Team of the year not the ICC rankings, in that regard I'm shocked that any Aussies made it!
For example, despite demolishing England and having a seriously stellar first season, Boland never made the Test Team of the year.
Carey is a good gloveman but his batting has fallen away, standard of Keepers has dropped at test level.
Foakes is the best going around imho and his batting isnt shabby either but he obviously doesnt hang out in the right circles like Bairstow does and Jonny iron gloves keeps getting a game.
I would have ex South African now pretend Kiwi Devon Conway ahead of Kuranaratne as an opener and would have Kasigo Rabada or Jasprit Bumrah ahead of Broad. Jadeja is a bit of a rockstar in India and probably got in the team for his allrounder abilities, Lyon is the better pure spin bowler but the Indian is very capable with the bat and probably close to the best fielder going around.