Blackcaps fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has been nominated for the International Cricket Council's (ICC) test cricketer of the year, as one of four finalists for the award.
Jamieson, 26, enjoyed a fantastic 2021 in cricket's longest format, taking 27 wickets at an average of 17.51, and was man-of-the-match in the World Test Championship final won by New Zealand in June.
His incredible form with the ball also saw Jamieson become the fastest New Zealander to reach the mark of 50 test wickets, doing so by bowling India's Shubman Gill in just his ninth test match since his debut at the start of 2020.
"Jamieson was the X-factor of their pace attack, brilliantly supplanting and often surpassing the exploits of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner," Jamieson's nomination says.
"He was the star performer in Southampton, scalping seven wickets and contributing a handy 21 runs in the first innings, winning the Player of the Match award for his showing."
The Blackcaps seamer will have ample competition for the award though, up against England test captain Joe Root (1708 runs), India's Ravichandran Ashwin (52 wickets, 337 runs) and Sri Lankan test captain Dimuth Karunaratne (902 runs).
The award will be decided by the ICC's 'Voting Academy,' composed of broadcasters and journalists who will rank the nominees on a 1-2-3 basis. Fans can also cast their own votes through the ICC's social media channels, with the combination of both used to decide the overall winner.
The winners of the ICC's end of year awards, consisting of 13 categories, will be announced sporadically from January 17 to 24.
