‘The ICC Awards are an annual set of sports awards for international cricket, which recognise and honour the best international cricket players of the previous 12 months. The awards were introduced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2004.’
The year 2021 has been one of the memorable ones for the national team, as Pakistani cricketers, due to their outstanding performance throughout the year, have bagged the most number of ICC awards and several players succeeded to secure spots in the ICC Teams of the Year.
Look at the tremendous achievements of Pakistani players:
Shaheen Afridi declared ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year
Shaheen Shah Afridi has been named the winner of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Player of the Year in 2021. He took 78 wickets in 36 internationals at an average of 22.20 with the best bowling figures of 6/51.
He especially had a year to remember in Tests and T20Is, reaching his peak during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in UAE where he impressed one and all with his sheer speed and skills.
Babar Azam crowned ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year
Skipper Babar Azam was declared ODI Cricketer of the Year by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday.
This is the third mention of Babar Azam in the ICC Awards 2021. He was earlier announced the captain of the T20 and ODI teams of the year by the ICC.
The Pakistani captain only played six ODI in the previous year but he made vital contributions in the two series that Pakistan played this year. He scored 405 runs in six matches at an average of 67.50 with two centuries.
He was the second-highest run-scorer with 228 runs and was the Player of the Match in both of Pakistan’s wins in the 2-1 series victory against South Africa. The architect of Pakistan’s chase of 274 in the first ODI, Babar made a century and laid the foundation with an 82-ball 94 in the final ODI where the visitors posted 320 batting first.
Fatima Sana wins ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year award
Pakistani pacer Fatima Sana has been named the International Cricket Council (ICC) Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year award for 2021.
The award marks the first ICC accolade won by a Pakistani woman cricketer, making it a huge accomplishment for the young star.
The ICC in a statement said that the 20-year-old “impressed one and all with her all-around efforts in 2021”.
Her figures for the year consist of 24 wickets at an average of 23.95 and 165 runs at 16.50 in 16 international matches.
“She became an integral part of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I side owing to her wicket-taking ability as a bowler, and ability to add handy runs down the order at the same time,” the statement read.
Mohammad Rizwan bags ICC Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year award
Pakistan’s star wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan bagged the title of Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year as the International Cricket Council (ICC) Sunday announced the winners of the ICC Awards in different categories.
Shedding light on the outstanding performance of Mohammad Rizwan during the calendar year 2021, the ICC, in a statement said, “Aggregating a staggering 1326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan struck at an average of 73.66 and a strike-rate of 134.89.”
ICC Teams of the Year
As many as eight Pakistani cricketers succeeded to secure spots in the ICC teams of the years.
The ICC Men’s T20I Team of 2021: Jos Butler (ENG), Mohammad Rizwan (PAK, WK), Babar Azam (PAK, C), Aiden Markram (SA), Mitchell Marsh (AUS), David Miller (SA), Wanindu Hasaranga (SL), Tabraiz Shamsi (SA), Josh Hazlewood (AUS), Mustafizur Rahman (BANG) and Shaheen Afridi (PAK).
The ICC Men’s ODI Team of 2021: Paul Stirling (IRE), Janneman Malan (SA), Babar Azam (PAK, C), Fakhar Zaman (PAK), Rassie van der Dussen (SA), Shakib Al-Hasan (BANG), Mushfiqur Rahim (BANG, WK), Wanindu Hasaranga (SL), Mustafizur Rahman (BANG), Simi Singh (IRE) and Dushmantha Chameera (SL)
The ICC Women’s ODI Team of 2021: Lizelle Lee (SA), Alyssa Healy (AUS), Tammy Beaumont (ENG), Mithali Raj (IND), Heather Knight (ENG, C), Marizanne Kapp (SA), Hayley Matthews (WI), Fatima Sana (PAK), Jhulan Goswami (IND), Shabnim Ismail (SA) and Anisa Mohammed (WI).
ICC Men’s Test Team for 2021: Dimuth Karunaratne (SL), Rohit Sharma (India), Marnus Labuschagne (AUS), Joe Root (ENG), Kane Williamson (NZ), Fawad Alam (PAK), Rishabh Pant (IND, WK), Ravichandran Ashwin (IND), Kyle Jamison (NZ), Hasan Ali (PAK) and Shaheen Afridi (PAK).
Extending his felicitation to the Men Green Shirts, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman RAMIZ RAJA said:
“ The world of cricket is richer and so watchable because of you. A proud moment for the fans who through you can now see a new beginning…”
Prime minister IMRAN KHAN on Monday congratulated the Pakistan cricket stars after their domination in the International Cricket Council (ICC) awards for the year 2021.
“Congratulations to our cricket stars. You have made us proud,” The premier wrote on his twitter account
Pakistani twitter has flooded the platform with congratulation, expressing the joys over massive wins and saying they’ve made us proud!
I believe Pakistan would make us proud in ICC World Cup 2023
