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AUSTRALIA captain Steve Smith yesterday received the ICC Test Championship mace and US$1M in prize money for leading his side to the number-one ranking on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings on the annual April I cut-off date.ICC chief executive David Richardson made the presentations to Smith in Pallekele. He captained Australia to 10 Test victories over the 12-month period.
“The mace is a symbol of excellence and recognition of a side’s outstanding achievement in the toughest format of the sport. Australia’s winning performances have been exceptional and they thoroughly deserve to be awarded the mace,†said Richardson.
“These are exciting times for Test cricket as the top four-ranked countries are involved in high profile series across three different continents showcasing the very best this format of the sport has to offer. I am sure the incentive of achieving the number-one ranking will further motivate them, bringing out the best in the players,†added Richardson.
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