LAHORE: India’s Virat Kohli has been named as captain of the ICC Men’s Test and ODI Teams of the Year 2017, which were announced by the International Cricket Council on Thursday. The Test Team of the Year has no Pakistani representatives, although the ODI line-up does feature Hasan Ali as well as middle-order batsman Babar Azam whose willow yielded 1,232 runs in 21 matches at an average of 77.00 during 2017. Apart from his own stellar performances across both the formats during the period between 21 September 2016 and 31 December 2017, Kohli also inspired India to the number-one and two rankings in Tests and ODIs, respectively. This is the first time Kohli has been selected in the ICC Test Team of the Year, but fourth time after 2012, 2014 and 2016 that he has been picked in the ICC ODI Team of the Year. Kohli is also one of four players to feature in both the Test and ODI sides, with the other three being Australia’s David Warner, Ben Stokes of England, and South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock. Warner, Ravichandaran Ashwin, Stokes and Mitchell Starc were members of the ICC Test Team of the Year 2016, while Warner, de Kock, Kohli, AB de Villiers, Starc and Rohit Sharma have been selected for the second year running in the ICC ODI Team of the Year. For de Villiers, this is the seventh time in eight years that he has been chosen in the ICC ODI Team of the Year. ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year 2017 (in batting order): 1: Dean Elgar (South Africa) 2: David Warner (Australia) 3: Virat Kohli (captain) (India) 4: Steve Smith (Australia) 5: Cheteshwar Pujara (India) 6: Ben Stokes (England) 7: Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper) (South Africa) 8: Ravichandran Ashwin (India) 9: Mitchell Starc (Australia) 10: Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) 11: James Anderson (England) ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2017 (in batting order): 1: David Warner (Australia) 2: Rohit Sharma (India) 3: Virat Kohli (captain) (India) 4: Babar Azam (Pakistan) 5:AB de Villiers (South Africa) 6: Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper) (South Africa) 7: Ben Stokes (England) 8: Trent Boult (New Zealand) 9: Hasan Ali (Pakistan) 10: Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) 11: Jasprit Bumrah (India) Published in Daily Times, January 19th 2018.