Babar Azam crowned ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year 2022

image-ldcqit7nBabar plays a shot against NZ [Associated Press]

2022 was a phenomenal year for Babar Azam. The Pakistan skipper piled truckloads of runs in all three formats and was arguably the best player for his side.

He took a special liking in the ODI format, and became Mr consistent in the 50-over format. As a result of his consistency, Babar has been crowned by ICC as the Men's Cricketer of the Year for a second consecutive year.

He has been the number one ODI batter since July 2021, and on current form, he won't let go of the post that easily.

Babar played just nine ODI matches in 2022, but he made each and every innings count, scoring 679 runs, including three centuries and five half-centuries. To put this into perspective, he failed with the bat in only one instance.


It wasn't only in the individual criteria that Babar thrived. His side lost just a solitary ODI game, which came at the hands of Australia in March 2022.

His most memorable knock came against Australia at the end of March in the 3-game ODI series. In a must-win encounter, Babar once again delivered for his nation, chasing down a mammoth 349 with six balls to spare. The 28-year-old notched up his hundred in just 73 deliveries - his fastest ever in terms of balls.

Things didn't go too well for Pakistan as a team, especially in Tests, but Babar was the shining light and a reason for happiness for the Pakistan supporters.

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