The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced Zimbabwe as the winner of the Spirit of Cricket Award 2023 for their men's team's kind on-field gesture. Zimbabwean players showed top-class sportsmanship during their 2023 World Cup qualifier match against the West Indies. 

3 things you need to know

• The Zimbabwe cricket team has made rapid progress in the past few years
• The team has seen many ups and downs throughout their redevelopment period
• Zimbabwe narrowly missed out on a chance to play the Cricket World Cup 2023

Also Read: 'Probably the reason we went with Axar': Rohit Sharma makes it clear why India dropped Kuldeep Yadav

Here's why Zimbabwe won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award 2023

Zimbabwe claimed the award when Tadiwanashe Marumani, Sikandar Raza, and Sean Williams consoled a disheartened Akeal Hosein from the West Indies after their defeat at the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in June 2024. The match knocked the West Indies out of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which was held in India in October-November last year. 

This was the first time in the history of the Men's Cricket World Cup that two-time champions West Indies were not involved. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe also missed out on a chance of qualifying for the 2023 ODI World Cup by a thin margin. Zimbabwe finished fourth in the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Super Six table due to a lower net run rate. The top two teams qualified for the coveted tournament.