Babar Azam among four nominees for ICC Men's ODI Player of the Year award

DUBAI – Nominations for the ICC awards are in, and Pakistani skipper Babar Azam has also nominated for Men’s ODI Player of the Year award.

The world cricket body on Thursday (today) announced the four nominees for the Men's ODI player of the year award a day after ICC announced the nominees for the Men's T20I player of the year award.

Babar Azam, who recently slipped from the perch among T20I batters after scoring 0 and 7 in the first two games against Windies at home, has been nominated for the ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year award, after he maintained his batting game in the 50-over format.

Top ODI hitter scored 405 runs in six matches at an average of 67.50 with two centuries. A statement issued by ICC said “Babar Azam might have played only six ODis in 2021, but he made vital contributions in the two series that they played this year”.

It also added that he [Babar] was the second-highest run-scorer with 228 runs and was the Player of the Match in both of Pakistan’s wins in the 2-1 series victory against South Africa.

Other nominees include Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan who scored 277 runs in nine matches at an average of 39.57 with two fifties and picked 17 wickets at an average of 17.52.

The next nominees are Proteas player Janneman Malan who scored 509 runs in eight matches at an average of 84.83 with two centuries and two half-centuries. Ireland’s Paul Stirling also gets named as he finished 2021 with the 705 runs in 14 matches at an average of 79.66 with three centuries and two half-centuries.