Babar Azam, Lizelle Lee, Joe Root bags Top Honors in ICC Awards, Check it out!

ICC Awards: Pakistan’s Captain, Babar Azam & Lizelle Lee has been named ICC ODI Cricketers of the Year for 2021, while England Test Captain Joe Root has been awarded Men’s test cricketer of the year.

ICC Awards: Babar Azam named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2021

Babar Azam’s swashbuckling 158 runs knock in the third ODI against England at Edgbaston during the summer was the key in Babar winning the prestigious award. 

 

With the series already lost, Pakistan was fighting for the World Cup Super League Points & Babar built on a solid foundation to bring up his career-best score. However, Babar’s efforts went in vain as England’s James Vince & Lewis Gregory’s century stand guided England to a stunning win. Babar alone accumulated 177 runs in three ODIs but found no support from other batsmen who couldn’t manage more than 100 runs in the series.

 

Babar Azam played six ODIs in 2021 amassing 405 runs at an average of 67.50. He was the second-highest run-scorer for Pakistan with 228 runs & was awarded as the ‘Player of the Match’ in Pakistan’s 2-1 series win against South Africa. He was the lone warrior in Pakistan’s chase of 274 runs in the first ODI by smashing a ton. He further laid the foundation of the series win by posting 82 balls 94 runs in the final ODI where Proteas posted 320 runs total.

 

Lizelle Lee named ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2021

South Africa batter Lizelle Lee has been awarded as the ICC Women’s ODI cricketer of the Year after ending 2021 as the leading run-scorer in ODI format. Lizelle Lee who is also the top-ranked batter in world cricket scored 632 runs in 11 matches at an average of 90.28, including one century and five half-centuries. She played a pivotal role in the ODI series against India last March, making 288 runs, as South Africa sealed a 4-1 win.

 

During the third match of the ODI series against India Lee registered her highest individual score smashing an unbeaten 132 to help her team secure a close-fought win.  She was eventually named the Player of the Series. Lee carried her rocking form into the tour of West Indies, where she was once again the leading run-scorer, finishing the ODI leg with 248 runs in four matches at an average of 124.

 

ICC Awards: Joe Root awarded with ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Award

Joe Root had a sparkling 2021 after scoring 1708 runs in 15 tests comprising six centuries which helped him to bag the prestigious test honours. Joe Root was in a firing form right from the beginning of 2021 by scoring a stunning double ton & continued that form against India both in the home & away series. Root contributed with the ball too by scalping 14 wickets including a maiden Test five-wicket haul against India in Ahmedabad.

 

Joe Root’s heroics went in vain as England lost to India both home and away, and finished the year with two losses in Australia. England eventually lost the Ashes with a humiliating 4-0. Root’s standout performance came against India during the Chennai test in February where his 128 runs knock helped England to begin India’s tour with a win. He batted 377 deliveries to craft 218 as England’s imposing first-innings total helped set the tone for a 227-run win.

 

Speaking about the award, Joe Root said, “The Chennai hundred sticks out, to get it in my hundredth game will live long in my memory,” “Incredibly proud to have received this award. Humbled to be in the same breath as a number of players around the world. It means a huge amount to get this award.”

 

List of ICC Awards 2021

Award	Winner
Men’s Cricketer of The Year	Shaheen Afridi
Women’s Cricketer of The Year	Smriti Mandhana
Men’s Test Cricketer of The Year	Joe Root
Men’s ODI Cricketer of The Year	Babar Azam
Women’s ODI Cricketer of The Year	Lizelle Lee
Men’s T20I Cricketer of The Year	Mohammad Rizwan
Women’s T20I Cricketer of The Year	Tammy Beaumont
Emerging Men’s Cricketer of The Year	Janneman Malan
Emerging Women’s Cricketer of The Year	Fatima Sana
Men’s Associate Cricketer of The Year	Zeeshan Maqsood
Women’s Associate Cricketer of The Year	Andrea-Mae Zepeda
Umpire of The Year	Marais Erasmus