Former England captain Joe Root is among a group of four nominees shortlisted by the International Cricket Council for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year award, the winner of which will receive the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.

Root, who is number one on the Test batting rankings, compiled 1,556 runs in 17 matches at an average of 55.57. It marks the 5th time that the 34 year old has made over 1000 runs in a calendar year.

He is joined on the shortlist by fellow countryman Harry Brook who enjoyed a stellar year that peaked with a maiden triple century of 317 off 322 balls against Pakistan in October.

Completing the list of nominees are India’s pace-bowling icon Jasprit Bumrah and Australia’s swashbuckling left-hander Travis Head.

Bumrah earned his spot by virtue of being the leading wicket-taker in tests in 2024 with 71 wickets at an average of 14.92, while Head compiled 608 runs from 9 Tests while average 40.53 with a high score of 152. He also tallied 539 runs from 15 T20Is at a strike rate of 178.47.

Australia’s Annabel Sutherland, New Zealand’s Melie Kerr, South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu have been nominated for the women’s award.

In the meantime, Guyanese batsman Sherfane Rutherford is the lone West Indies player on the shortlist of nominees for One Day International Cricketer of the Year while pacer Shamar Joseph was nominated for the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award.