On Wednesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released the identities of the XI players who would comprise the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year, led by Pakistan skipper Babar Azam.
Pakistan’s main players were also picked for the roster, including wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and bowling prodigy Shaheen Shah Afridi.
In a statement announcing the Men’s T20I Team of the Year, the ICC noted that it will recognise 11 extraordinary people who have “amazed one and all, whether it is with the bat, the ball, or their all-round achievements in a calendar year.”
The ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year certainly packs a punch 👊
More 👉 https://t.co/TtQKyBL3rw pic.twitter.com/mhfNsE2mU3
— ICC (@ICC) January 19, 2022
🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰
🇦🇺🇦🇺
🏴The XI players who make up the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year is revealed! 📝
Does your favourite player feature in the side?
Details 👉 https://t.co/TtQKyBL3rw pic.twitter.com/KoBL5cN1Rn
— ICC (@ICC) January 19, 2022
Here is a list of the Pakistani players that were named to the squad.
Babar Azam
In 2021, the Pakistan captain was at his best in the shortest format, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer at the T20 World Cup.
Read more: Mohammad Hafeez has some advice for Qalandars on how to win a maiden.
Babar batted in 29 matches, scoring 939 runs at an average of 37.56, with one century and nine half-centuries. His captaincy was also praised after guiding his team to the T20 World Cup semi-finals in the UAE and Oman.
Mohammad Rizwan
In 2021, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter ruled the roost in the game’s shortest format. Rizwan scored 1,326 runs in only 29 matches, striking at a strike rate of 134.89 and an average of 73.66.
Aside from his batsmanship, he remained as powerful as ever behind the wickets, guiding Pakistan to the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, where he ended as the third-highest run-scorer.
Read more: Australia will beef up their speed assault during their upcoming visit to Pakistan.
Shaheen Afridi
Shaheen Afridi had an outstanding season, particularly in the shorter form of the game. Afridi grabbed 23 wickets in 21 matches with a strike rate of 26.04 and an economy rate of 7.86, extracting superb movement with the new ball and reversing it with the old.
Shaheen, who is still just 21, will surely lead Pakistan’s fast bowling group for many years to come, and with his bowling already growing at a quick pace, he will undoubtedly prove to be a frightening threat.
Others include Jos Buttler of England, Aiden Markram of South Africa, Mitchell Marsh of Australia, David Miller of South Africa, Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka, Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa, Josh Hazlewood of Australia, and Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh.
