Alastair Cook named captain of the International Cricket Council's Test team of the year

Cook was an obvious choice to get his fourth selection and second as captain. Credit: PA

Alastair Cook has been named captain of the International Cricket Council's Test team of the year, while England team-mates Joe Root and Stuart Broad are also included in the line-up.

After a couple of lean years with the bat, Cook has been sensational for much of the last 12 months and that is reflected in him being the current leading Test run-scorer in 2015.

Having also skippered England to Ashes glory, Cook was an obvious choice to get his fourth selection and second as captain, having achieved the honour two years ago.

Fellow batsman Root was England's standout performer throughout the summer, scoring two pivotal centuries against Australia and he currently sits joint-top of the Test batting rankings.

While he was controversially overlooked by the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year panel, the ICC has also named Root as 12th man in its one-day team of the year - England's only representative.

Broad is also included in the ICC's Test team for the fifth time, with the 29-year-old the leading fast bowling wicket-taker this year.

That included his eight for 15 on his home ground of Trent Bridge in the fourth Test against Australia, the best figures of his career and a key moment in England regaining the Ashes.

Australia captain Steve Smith and New Zealand's left-arm paceman Trent Boult have been named in both the Test and ODI teams. The 50-over team is skippered by South Africa talisman AB de Villiers.

ICC Test team of the year: A Cook (England, captain), D Warner (Australia), K Williamson (New Zealand), Younis Khan (Pakistan), S Smith (Australia), J Root (England), Sarfraz Ahmed (Pakistan), S Broad (England), T Boult (New Zealand), Yasir Shah (Pakistan), J Hazlewood (Australia). 12th man: R Ashwin (India).

ICC ODI team of the year: AB de Villiers (South Africa, captain), T Dilshan (Sri Lanka), H Amla (South Africa), K Sangakkara (Sri Lanka), S Smith (Australia), R Taylor (New Zealand), T Boult (New Zealand), M Shami (India), M Starc (Australia), Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), Imran Tahir (South Africa). 12th man: J Root.