LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday unveiled its ODI team of the year with two players from Pakistan, Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman making the cut.
Azam, who captains the Pakistan side, has been named the skipper of the ICC team, a day after the body picked him as the skipper of the T20I Team of the Year.
According to the ICC, releasing a team of the year is a way to recognise 11 “outstanding individuals who have impressed one and all — be it with the bat, the ball or their all-around exploits in a calendar year”.
“The talismanic Pakistan skipper made vital contributions in tough away tours of South Africa and England, ending up with Player of the Match awards in both their victories in the former,” the ICC said in a statement. Despite having played only 6 matches in 2021, Babar still managed to score 405 runs at an average of 67.50 with two centuries.
Zaman continued his stellar run in Pakistan’s ODI outfit in the year 2021. Playing 6 matches, he aggregated 365 runs at an average of 60.83 with two centuries. One of the centuries came against South Africa, in a knock which will be remembered for ages. He scored 193, almost taking Pakistan home in their chase of 342 in Johannesburg.
The team consists of Paul Stirling, Simi Singh, Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Janneman Malan, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Shakib al Hassan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) Mustafizur Rahman, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Dushmantha Chameera.
A day earlier, Babar Azam was named captain of the ICC’s men’s T20I team of the year for 2021, with two other Pakistan players making the cut. The other two Pakistan players to make the team are Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan, who set numerous records with the bat in 2021.
The Asian side are the joint-most well-represented in the XI after a year in which they made the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, as well as dominating bilateral T20I cricket. Pakistan won 20 of 29 T20Is played in 2021, a record win tally for a team in a calendar year.
