Page 38 - The Indian EYE 010623

SPORTS JANUARY 06, 2023 | The Indian Eye 38

YEARENDER 2022

Babar, Sikandar, Zampa

and Hope lead the race for ICC’s

top cricket awards

Shabnim Ismail, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver and Alyssa Healy have been nominated for
the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award

Babar Azam (ANI) Sikandar Raza (ANI)

he International Cricket his country in ODI cricket. Shai Hope made his ODI debut four-wicket hauls against the West In-
Council (ICC) on Thursday The leggie had his joint-most pro- in 2016, and since then, he has fin- dies at home, and she became one of
Tannounced nominees for the ductive year in ODI cricket, matching ished every year as the West Indies’ the most consistent performers during
Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year his debut year tally of 30 wickets. His leading ODI run-scorer. In 2022, Shai the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup
2022 award. Pakistan skipper Babar feat was even more impressive this Hope was once again one of the West in New Zealand.
Azam, Australia spinner Adam Zam- year because nine of his 12 matches Indies’ few shining stars in a difficult The 34-year-old took 14 scalps
pa, Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar were at home, where conditions ar- year. for the tournament at an average of
Raza and West Indies’ Shai Hope are en’t ideal for spinners. Hope did not have the best of 17.50, with her superb spell of 3/27
the contenders to win the award. The The 30-year-old started the year starts in 2022, but in typical fashion, against the tournament hosts in Ham-
ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year with a four-wicket haul and finished began to grind out runs in the second ilton crucial to propelling the Proteas
2021 is in the running to do a repeat in with a couple more to cap off a fan- half. He finished the year with 709 to the event’s semi-finals.
2022. Babar Azam once again showed tastic 2022. runs at an average of 35.45, including Amelia Kerr, a New Zealand
his prowess in the 50-over format, Zimbabwe’s resurgence on the three hundreds and two fifties. star, found new consistency in her
showing once again why he has ruled international stage in 2022 was large- South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail, game in 2022, and her results with
the roost at the top of the ICC Men’s ly due to one man - Sikandar Raza. New Zealand all-rounder Ame- both bat and ball show she now firmly
ODI Player Rankings since July 2021. Raza scored 645 runs at an average of lia Kerr, England’s Nat Sciver and belongs among the game’s elite.
The 29-year-old Pakistan skipper 49.61 and a strike rate of 87.16, add- Australia’s stand-in skipper Alyssa Kerr started the year on a high
registered eight scores of more than ing two fifties to his three centuries. Healy have been nominated for the note, scoring three half-centuries
fifty in nine matches this year, three All of his runs came against top teams ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and a century in a five-match series
of which he converted into hundreds. that were dominant in the white-ball award, the International Cricket against India in Queenstown prior to
He finished the season with 679 runs game in 2022. Council announced on Thursday. the start of the ICC Women’s Cricket
at an astounding 84.87 average. The 36-year-old scored three Ismail gets better with age, and World Cup.
Adam Zampa continued to show centuries, all while chasing, two of the South African veteran may have While New Zealand were a little
why he has been a vital cog in the Aus- which resulted in victories and anoth- had the best year of her already illus- disappointed in their home World
tralian white-ball setup, finishing the er nearly taking Zimbabwe over the trious career in 2022. Ismail’s 2022 Cup, Kerr was a model of consisten-
Continued at next page... >>
year as the highest wicket-taker for line against India. campaign began with two consecutive Continued at next page... >>

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