Babar Azam nominated for ICC ODI ‘Player of the Year’ award

Dubai: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been nominated for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s (ODI) Player of the Year award.

The first nominee is 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. 

He had made his return from his two-year ban (suspended for one year) and earned a Player of the Series against West Indies in January 2021. 

Pakistani captain Babar Azam, is second nominee who made 405 runs in six ODIs at an average of 67.50 with two centuries. 

He 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. 

The third nominee is South Africa’s 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 finished 2021 with the most runs- 705 runs in 14 matches at an average of 79.66 with three centuries and two half-centuries. 

The winners of the awards will be announced in January 2022.