As Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Award for a second consecutive year in 2022, there were game-changing hits, mesmerizing stroke plays, and memorable moments for both him personally and his team.
If you thought the Pakistan captain had a memorable ODI season in 2021, wait until you see what he accomplished in 2022. The ultra-reliable right-hander continued to hold the No. 1 spot among batters in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings.
It’s a title that Babar has held firmly onto since July 2021 and in its current form, has no intention of letting go easily.
Babar played nine ODI games in 2022, which may come as a surprise to some, but the 28-year-old made the most of them by smashing three centuries, five half-centuries, and only truly struggling with the bat once.
Babar excelled not only on an individual level, but also as the captain of Pakistan, who guided the team to a perfect record of one win and no losses in the entire year.
Babar was an obvious choice to win the prized ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year award in 2022 given that Pakistan’s lone loss in 50-over cricket last year occurred against Australia in Lahore.