ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Shadab Khan and Shaheen Afridi have been included among nine players to be voted for the Player of the Tournament for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.
The best cricketers on the planet have been lighting up the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2022 for over the past month and fans were reminded not to miss their chance to vote for the Player of the Tournament.
Nine players have been shortlisted and five have the chance to advance their case in the final, with three Englishmen and two Pakistan stars on the shortlist, said a press release.
Voting would remain open until the closing stages of the final, which takes place at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and sees both sides looking to lift the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy for a second time.
The Player of the Tournament would be decided by an expert panel and the fans’ vote will contribute towards the decision.
The nine players nominated for the award were- Shadab Khan (Pakistan): A key part of Pakistan’s run to the final with bat and ball, Shadab has picked up 10 wickets, gone at just 6.59 an over and made vital contributions with the bat – notably a 22-ball 52 in the win over South Africa.
Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan): Back from injury with a bang, Shaheen’s 10 wickets to date have included four against Bangladesh and another two in the semi-final against New Zealand – the seamer going at just 6.17 an over along the way.
Virat Kohli (India): The leading run-scorer in competition with 296, Kohli’s four half-centuries included the unbeaten 82 which inspired his side’s dramatic four-wicket victory over Pakistan.
Suryakumar Yadav (India): With 239 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 189.68, Yadav has been a key injector of momentum for India and has become the No.1 ranked batter in the world in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings over the course of the tournament.
Sam Curran (England): Curran started the tournament by becoming the first England bowler to take a T20I five-wicket haul and has been Jos Buttler’s go-to man at the death, holding his nerve at clutch moments.
Jos Buttler (England): The England skipper has led by example, forming a fearsome opening partnership with Alex Hales and scoring 199 runs at a strike rate of 143.16.
Alex Hales (England): Hales has made his return to international cricket count and is England’s leading run-scorer heading into the final, his tally boosted by a brutal unbeaten 86 in the 10-wicket win over India in the last four.
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe): Zimbabwe’s timeless talisman played a crucial role for his side in Australia, scoring 219 runs and chipping in with vital wickets, including three in the famous win over Pakistan.
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka): Hasaranga was the leading wicket-taker in 2021 and could go back-to-back, with no bowler currently sitting with more scalps than the spinner’s 15 – which have come at 13.26 apiece, with his economy rate a tidy 6.41.
