ICC Men’s ODI cricketer of the Year Award
Spellbinding stroke-play, match-winning knocks and fantastic moments to cherish – the winner of the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year Award had a year to remember in 2021. Let’s have a look back at Babar Azam’s performances throughout the year and honor some of his notable accomplishments.
Total: 405 runs in six matches at an average of 67.50 with two centuries.
Babar Azam might have played only 6 ODis in 2021, but he made an enormous contribution in the two series that Pakistan played this year.
With 228 runs, he was Pakistan's 2nd-highest run-scorer, and he was named Player of the Match in both of Pakistan's victories in the 2-1 series victory over Proteas. Babar made a century and built the foundation with an 82-ball 94 in the last ODI, where the visitors produced 320 batting first, architecting Pakistan's chase of 274 in the first ODI.
When Pakistan was crushed 3-0 by England, he was their lone warrior. He scored 177 runs in three games but received no help from the other batters, who failed to score more than 100 runs throughout the series.
Azam's greatest performance this year came in the final ODI against England, which he lost.
Pakistan were fighting for pride as well as precious ICC Cricket World Cup Super League points in the third ODI at Birmingham, with the series already lost. Pakistan batted first and scored 331 runs, with Babar scoring nearly half of the team's runs.
Babar came in to bat early in the innings, and he and Imam-ul-Haq put on a 92-run stand to get Pakistan out of difficulty. Initially, he was conservative in his approach, reaching his half-century in 72 balls. He made amends by scoring the following fifty runs in just 32 balls, his 2nd ODI century of the season.
Well done, Babar Azam! You got it!
