Root credits Moores for England award

Yorkshire batsman Joe Root has given credit to sacked England coach Peter Moores after being named England Cricketer of the Year for 2014-15 by British sports journalists.

Root scored 1,135 Test runs at an average of nearly 95 over the past 12 months, including four scores of 149 and over, and also hit three one-day international centuries.

The 24-year-old overcame competition from a shortlist including James Anderson, Moeen Ali and Gary Ballance to win the award for the first time, and thanked Moores for his influence following his appointment after the 2013-14 Ashes.

"I think my game has improved drastically. A lot of credit for that has to go to Peter Moores," Root said. "Over the past year, he has definitely got the best out of me – along with the rest of the coaching department."

Root was left out of the England team for the final Test of the Ashes whitewash in January 2014, but was recalled after Moores was appointed coach for the second time a year ago and is now averaging 55 in Test cricket after 25 matches.

"When I came back from Australia, I realised a lot of the time out there I was trying to work on things I wasn't too good at – and putting all my energy into that, rather than spending more time strengthening the stuff I am good at," he added.

"Peter saw that, and I simplified things as well."

Root, who was last week appointed vice-captain of England's Test team, was also supportive of his Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie as a potential national coach.

“At Yorkshire he has been fantastic in my development,” Root said.

“He took over when we were in Division Two and we’d had a really poor season the year before so the work he has done with the lads is fantastic.

“If he did get it I’m sure he would do a very good job at the highest level too.”

Also at the awards ceremony, Charlotte Edwards was named England Women's Cricketer of the Year for the second consecutive year and received a silver cap to mark her 200th match as captain against New Zealand in February.

Edwards led England Women to one-day series wins over India and New Zealand and Twenty20 series successes against South Africa and New Zealand.

Lancashire's right-arm seamer Saqib Mahmood won the England Development Program Cricketer of the Year award, while Luke Sugg from England's Visually Impaired team was named Disability Cricketer of the Year.

The four players were honoured during a dinner in the famous Long Room at Lord's.

"These awards once again highlight the sheer breadth of individual talent across our different England teams and there was fierce competition for the trophies in all four categories," said ECB chief executive Tom Harrison.