Babar Azam named ICC Men's ODI cricketer of the year
Babar continued to lead the pack as the No. 1 ranked batter in the ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings in 2022, putting up even greater stats. Since July 2021, Babar has clung tenaciously to the title and, based on recent performances, has no plans to relinquish it easily.
After scoring numerous match-winning runs for his team, Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year Award for a second consecutive year. In 2022, Babar amassed 679 runs from nine games at an average of 84.87, including three centuries.
Babar continued to lead the pack as the No. 1 ranked batter in the ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings in 2022, putting up even greater stats. Since July 2021, Babar has clung tenaciously to the title and, based on recent performances, has no plans to relinquish it easily.
Babar played nine ODI games in 2022, which may come as a surprise to some, but the 28-year-old made the most of them by smashing three centuries, five half-centuries, and only truly struggling with the bat once.
Babar excelled not only on an individual level, but also as the captain of Pakistan, who guided the team to a perfect record.
Babar was an obvious choice to win the prized ICC Men's ODI Player of the Year award in 2022 given that Pakistan's lone loss in 50-over cricket last year occurred against Australia in Lahore.
After losing the first game of the series to an always-tough Australian team, Pakistan needed to win this game more than anything. Babar came through when Pakistan needed him the most, helping his team chase down a huge total of 349 with just four wickets lost and six deliveries remaining.