Babar Azam named ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been named the ICC Men's ODI Player of the Year for his exploits with the bat in 2022. The right-handed batter played one stellar ODI knock after another and received the honor for a second consecutive year. Notably, he piped Australia's Adam Zampa, Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza, and West Indies' Shai Hope to get the award. Here are further details.
Sensational run in 2022
Babar led Pakistan by example in the ODI format where his blade also did the talking. He smashed 679 runs at an incredible average of 84.87 and a strike rate of 90.77. He registered eight 50+ scores in these matches, including three centuries and five half-centuries. Babar was the only Pakistani batter to have smashed over 600 ODI runs last year.
11 fifty-plus scores in his last 13 ODI innings
Babar has registered 11 fifty-plus scores in his last 13 ODI innings. Moreover, he is only among the three batters to score 900-plus runs in 11 consecutive ODI innings. Virat Kohli and David Warner are the others with this feat. Babar's scores in the last 13 ODI innings read 158, 57, 114, 105*, 103, 77, 1, 74, 57, 91, 66, 79, and 4.
A look at Babar's ODI numbers
Babar, who made his ODI debut in May 2015, now owns 4,813 runs in 95 games. The tally includes 17 tons and 24 half-centuries. Among Pakistanis, only former opener Saeed Anwar has more centuries in ODIs (20). His average of 59.42 is the highest among batters with at least 1,600 ODI runs. The stylish batter also boasts a healthy strike rate of 89.03.
Babar leads ICC ODI team of the year
Notably, Babar was named the captain of the ICC ODI team of the year, announced earlier this month. He was the lone Pakistani in the line-up. ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year: Babar Azam (captain), Travis Head, Shai Hope, Shreyas Iyer, Tom Latham (wicket-keeper), Sikandar Raza, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Siraj, Trent Boult, Adam Zampa.
Contender of the Men's Cricketer of the Year award
Meanwhile, Babar is also in contention to win the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year award. Ben Stokes, Tim Southee, and Sikandar Raza are the other nominees fighting for the honor. The Pakistan skipper finished 2022 as the highest run-getter in Tests, compiling 1,184 runs across nine matches at 69.64. In T20Is, the star batter racked up 735 runs last year at 31.95.
