Pakistan’s star cricketers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan were nominated for the Garfield Sobers trophy for the ICC Player of the Year.
Left-arm pacer, Shaheen, claimed 78 wickets in 36 matches at an average of 22.20 during 2021, meanwhile wicketkeeper-batter, Rizwan, scored 1915 runs in 44 appearances at an average of 56.32 with two centuries. He also bagged 56 dismissals behind the stumps.
“The tall Pakistani pacer was on fire throughout 2021, knocking some of the best batters over across all three formats of the game. He especially had a year to remember in Tests and T20Is, reaching his absolute peak during the T20 World Cup in UAE where he impressed one and all with his sheer speed and skills,” the ICC said, in a press release, while praising Shaheen.
The game’s governing body also praised Rizwan for his prolific performance in T20I and Test cricket, over the course of the year.
“The Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter ruled the roost in 2021 when it came to the shortest format of the game. Aggregating a staggering 1326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan struck at an average of 73.66 and a strike-rate of 134.89. Apart from his exploits with the bat, he was as solid as ever behind the stumps, playing a key role in Pakistan’s run to the semis during the T20 World Cup,” the ICC said.
“Rizwan also upped his game in Test cricket, scoring 455 runs in 9 matches at an average of 45.50. Most importantly though, he was consistent throughout the year and played a variety of roles across all formats – be it getting Pakistan off to flying starts in the T20Is or stabilizing things with the lower order in Test cricket,” the statement added.
