Pakistan spinner named in Cricket Australia's WTC 2023–25 Team of the Tournament

His consistent performances over the two-year cycle earned him a spot ahead of stars like Lyon and Starc

PHOTO: X

Cricket Australia has announced its Team of the Tournament for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023–25 cycle, with Pakistan's left-arm spinner Noman Ali earning a place among some of the world’s top performers.

Noman’s inclusion highlights his outstanding consistency and impact during the two-year cycle, beating out big names like Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc for a spot in the XI.

The WTC 2023–25 was filled with exciting cricket, memorable moments, and strong individual performances. England staged a thrilling comeback to draw the Ashes 2-2, while Australia booked their place in the final after a 3-1 series win over India. Pakistan also impressed with a remarkable turnaround against England, winning the series 2-1 after losing the opening Test.

Noman played a key role in that comeback. Despite playing only six Tests in the WTC cycle, the 38-year-old spinner made a huge impact. He took 46 wickets at a stunning average of 14.76 and a strike rate of 27.6 — better than any other bowler who bowled over 100 overs during the cycle.

His most memorable performance came in Multan, where he took 8 wickets for 46 runs in the second innings against England — the best bowling figures by any player during the entire WTC cycle. He ended that series with 20 wickets in the last two Tests, forming a dangerous spin partnership with Sajid Khan.

Noman also impressed outside the England series. He started the WTC cycle with 7 for 70 against Sri Lanka in Galle and ended it with a ten-wicket haul against the West Indies in January 2025, proving his match-winning ability in different conditions. During that West Indies series, he also became the first Pakistan spinner to take a Test hat-trick, achieving the milestone in the second Test.

Cricket Australia's WTC 2023–25 Team of the Tournament:

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Usman Khawaja, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Matt Henry, Noman Ali

12th man: Kagiso Rabada