Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been named the winner of the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year 2022 award for the second year in a row. He defeated leg-spinner Adam Zampa of Australia, opener Shai Hope of the West Indies, and off-spin all-rounder Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe.
Azam played only nine ODIs in 2022, but he made the most of them, smashing three centuries, five half-centuries, and only really failing with the bat on one occasion.
He has topped the men's ODI player rankings since July 2021, scoring 679 runs at an astonishing average of 84.87 in nine matches in 2022, registering eight scores of more than fifty, three of which he converted into hundreds.
Azam had a memorable year as captain of the Pakistan One-Day International team, winning three out of three series. Pakistan were unbeatable in one-day internationals, losing only one match (against Australia) out of nine.
Babar Azam put on a masterclass performance in the recent One Day International (ODI) match against Australia, scoring 114 runs and leading his team to a historic chase of 349 runs. The match, played in Lahore, saw Azam come to the crease when his team needed 231 runs from 187 balls. With an exceptional display of shot-making, Azam brought up his century off just 73 balls, the fastest ever in his ODI career. He stuck around till the 44th over, helping his team secure their highest-ever successful chase in ODIs. For his efforts, Azam was named Player of the Match.
In addition to Azam's performance, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that former England player Richard Illingworth had won the award for Umpire of the Year in 2022. Illingworth, who played 9 Tests and 25 ODIs as a left-arm spinner from 1991-1996, previously won the award in 2019 and is now a two-time ICC Umpire of the Year.