Australian batsman Usman Khawaja has been declared Test cricketer of the year by the International Cricket Council.

The Pakistan-born cricketer scored 1,210 runs in 13 matches for Australia in the last year. He averaged 52.60 in the 24 innings that he played in the year, including a high score of 195 not out.

The left-hander made his Test debut for Australia in 2011 but has only become a permanent face at the top of the order in the last few years.

He has scored a total of 5,270 runs in 70 matches for the kangaroos in his career.

He was in the news recently after being reprimanded by the sport’s governing body for trying to show solidarity with Gaza by sporting a blakc arm band.

Khawaja had worn the band after rules prevented him from wearing shoes with messages of support for Gaza in a test against Pakistan.

He had later said he believed the statements on his shoes in support of the people of Gaza were not political and vowed to fight the ICC.