The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, awarded to the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year, is the most prestigious individual prize in international cricket. Since its inception in 2004, this award has celebrated the player who demonstrates the most consistent and outstanding performance across all formats of the game.
The inaugural award was presented to India's legendary batsman, Rahul Dravid. The list of subsequent winners features a pantheon of cricket greats. Australian captain Ricky Ponting became the first player to win the award in consecutive years, achieving this feat in 2006 and 2007. This was later matched by India's Virat Kohli in 2017 and 2018. Kohli also holds the record for the most individual ICC awards and was named the Cricketer of the Decade for 2011-2020.
Other notable winners include all-time greats like Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Jacques Kallis (2005, shared), and Kumar Sangakkara (2012). Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson is another two-time recipient (2009, 2014). The honor roll continues with modern-day heroes such as Steve Smith (2015), Ben Stokes (2019), and recent winners Pat Cummins (2023) and Jasprit Bumrah (2024), showcasing the award's enduring significance.
Key Points from 2004–2024
The award began in 2004 with Rahul Dravid as the first recipient.
Multiple-time winners include Ricky Ponting, Virat Kohli, and Steve Smith.
It has recognized excellence across Test, ODI, and T20 cricket, often going to players with all-format dominance.
The 2024 winner was honored alongside other ICC award categories such as Test Cricketer of the Year, ODI Cricketer of the Year, and T20I Cricketer of the Year.
| Year | Winner | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Rahul Dravid | India |
| 2005 | Andrew Flintoff, Jacques Kallis | England, S. Africa |
| 2006 | Ricky Ponting | Australia |
| 2007 | Ricky Ponting | Australia |
| 2008 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | West Indies |
| 2009 | Mitchell Johnson | Australia |
| 2010 | Sachin Tendulkar | India |
| 2011 | Jonathan Trott | England |
| 2012 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka |
| 2013 | Michael Clarke | Australia |
| 2014 | Mitchell Johnson | Australia |
| 2015 | Steve Smith | Australia |
| 2016 | Ravichandran Ashwin | India |
| 2017 | Virat Kohli | India |
| 2018 | Virat Kohli | India |
| 2019 | Ben Stokes | England |
| 2020 | Virat Kohli (Decade Award) | India |
| 2021 | Shaheen Afridi | Pakistan |
| 2022 | Babar Azam | Pakistan |
| 2023 | Pat Cummins | Australia |
| 2024 | Jasprit Bumrah | India |
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