Men’s ICC Cricketer Of The Year Award: The International Cricket Council recognizes players’ achievements with a series of sports awards each year. Every year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) recognizes various awards such as Test Player of the Year, ODI Player of the Year, T20 International Performance of the Year, Emerging Player of the Year, and many more. The most prestigious award, however, is the ICC Cricketer of the Year Award.
Ben Stokes, an English all-rounder, was named ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2020. The ICC Cricketer of the Year award was first presented in 2004, for those who are unaware. For the first time, Rahul Dravid received the award. Since then, the award has been won by 14 different players. Virat Kohli is the only player to win the ICC cricketer awards more than 2 times. In the year 2021, many batsmen scored a lot of runs, and bowlers took lots of wickets. Here are our picks for a few cricketers who could win the award in 2021.
Who Can Win The ICC Cricketer Of The Year Award Eligibility Criteria
The ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year awards are voted for by a panel of experts and fans. The performance period runs from the first to the last day of each calendar year. Full Members and Associate Members are considered for shortlisting, with 15 players selected for each award. Even though there are many cricketers on the field, the ICC carries the eligibility criteria for the ICC Awards of the Year. The Awards Nominations Committee chose the nominees for each category based on their on-field performances and overall achievements during the period.
ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year Award Winners List (2004-2020)
5 Cricketers Who Could Win The ICC T20 Cricketer Of The Year Award In 2021
1. Adam Zampa – Australia
The Australian leg-spin bowler Adam Zampa has taken 26 wickets in his 21 games, averaging 21.03 and averaging 7.15. With his bowling, he also helped the Australian team to win their first T20 World Cup this year (2021). His best bowling figures of 5/19 helped the team limit Bangladesh to 73 runs and then chase it down in just 6.2 overs. This gave them an advantage over South Africa, as they qualified for the semi-finals while South Africa fell behind in net run-rate.
2. Wanindu Hasaranga – Sri Lanka
Wanindu Hasaranga The Sri Lankan leg-spinner bowling all-rounder has 36 wickets in 20 games at an impressive average of 11.63 and an economy rate of 5.44. According to the ICC rankings, he is currently the best bowler in the shortest format. He was also allowed to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second phase of the IPL 2021. His national team was unable to qualify for the semi-finals, but he is one to keep an eye on in the future.
3. Aiden Markram – South Africa
Aiden Markram is a standout on this list. He was not considered the shortest format player a few months before the T20 World Cup. He had his chances in the three-match series against Sri Lanka in their home country. Punjab Kings, an IPL team, also named him as a replacement for Dawid Malan. Dawid Malan chose to skip the second phase of the IPL in the UAE to be fresh for the showpiece event. This season, he has 570 runs in 18 games at an average of 43.84, six fifties, and a strike rate of 148.82. South Africa team won four of five games in the world event but did not advance to the semi-finals due to a low net run rate.
4. Jos Buttler – England
Jos Buttler, England’s famous wicket-keeper batsman, scored 589 runs in his 14 games this year at an average of 65.44 and a strike rate of 143.30. On a sluggish Sharjah wicket, his highest score of 101 not out came against Sri Lanka during the 2021 T20 World Cup. His team went on to win the game, becoming the first team in the tournament to win a game batting first at that venue. His team went on to lose the semifinal against New Zealand, despite match-winning innings from Daryl Mitchell and Jimmy Neesham.
5. Mohammad Rizwan – Pakistan
Mohammad Rizwan has scored the most runs for Pakistan this year. As a makeshift opener for the side in the longest format at the start of the year, he has amassed 1239 runs in 28 games at an average of 72.88, including a maiden century against South Africa at home. He has also hit 11 fifties this year and has a strike rate of 132.08. After nine years, the Men in Green qualified for the T20 World Cup semifinals. They were defeated in the semifinals by Australia.
5 Cricketers Who Can Win The ICC ODI Cricketer Of The Year Award In 2021
1. Mohammad Mahmudullah – Bangladesh
The 200-ODI former trooper has 399 runs at an average of 49.88, which is remarkable considering he is a lower middle-order batsman. He recently retired from Test cricket but will continue to play ODIs and T20s. He also serves as Bangladesh’s T20 captain.
2. Fakhar Zaman – Pakistan
Fakhar Zaman is one of today’s most explosive opening batsmen. Indian cricket fans will remember him for his century against India in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final. Pakistan eventually won the game. This year(2021), he has appeared in a total of 6 games and scored 365 runs at an average of 60.83, with the highest total of 193 runs. His team won the three-match ODI series against South Africa 2-1 while being thrashed 3-0 by England’s second-string.
3. Janneman Malan – South Africa
Janneman Malan has emerged as one of South Africa’s rising stars. In eight One-Day Internationals this year, he has scored 509 runs at an astounding average of 84.83. His team lost the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka 2-1, tied the ODI series against Ireland 1-1, and lost to Pakistan at home 2-1. Malan, on the other hand, has stamped his authority over every opponent and demonstrated his potential on the international stage.
4. Paul Stirling – Ireland
Ireland is well-known for causing upsets in the 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cups, defeating Pakistan and England, respectively. This year, they have only won four games out of fourteen. However, the 134-ODI veteran has had a fantastic year with the bat so far in 2021. In 14 games, he has 705 runs, an average of 54.23, and three hundred and two fifties. His team has faced teams from the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands.
5. Mushfiqur Rahim – Bangladesh
Mushfiqur Rahim has been Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in 2021. In nine One-Day Internationals, he scored 407 runs with two fifties and one hundred at an average of 58.14. Bangladesh swept teams like the West Indies (3-0) and Zimbabwe (3-0). They won the three-match series against Sri Lanka 2-1 but were annihilated by New Zealand. Meanwhile, if the ICC decides to name the ODI Player Of The Year 2021, Mushfiqur Rahim’s name will be up for grabs.
5 Cricketers Who Can Win The ICC Test Cricketer Of The Year Award In 2021
1. Ravichandran Ashwin – INDIA
Ravichandran Ashwin had a fantastic year in 2021. In 2021, Ashwin will have broken numerous records in Indian and international cricket. The off-spinner became the first off-spinner to reach 400 Test wickets in the international circuit, and he did so in the fewest number of games. In addition, he surpassed his predecessor, Harbhajan Singh, to become India’s third-highest wicket-taker in Test history. His batting contribution was second to none, as Ashwin demonstrated how much pride he takes in his batting. The innings against Australia in Sydney and the century against England in Chennai will undoubtedly go down in Tets cricket history as two of the greatest Test knocks by an Indian spinner. R Ashwin has taken 52 wickets in 8 Test matches this year, leading the tally. He doubtlessly deserves to be named ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in 2021.
2. Shaheen Shah Afridi – Pakistan
Shaheen Afridi, one of Pakistan’s greatest discoveries in modern cricket, has stunned the world with his bowling performance in 2021. Across all formats, Shaheen Afridi has been Pakistan’s best bowler, and he has stepped up whenever Pakistan is in desperate need of wickets. He is one of the best yorker bowlers on the Pakistan cricket team. His performance in Tests in 2021 speaks volumes about his potential. Shaheen Afridi has gone on to take 47 Test wickets in 17 innings of Pakistan’s 9 Test matches this year. The wickets have come at an incredible bowling average of 17.06, and he will almost certainly end 2021 as the second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket after Ravichandran Ashwin. He will be a strong competitor for the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award.
3. Rohit Sharma – India
In 2021, Rohit Sharma proved that he is ready to be India’s regular first-choice opener in red-ball cricket. The year began with a couple of solid knocks against Australia away from home, and when England toured India, Rohit Sharma was the leading run-scorer in the Test series. In the ICC World Test Championship final, Rohit Sharma got off to a good start in both innings, while the other Indian batsmen struggled. The England tour, however, cemented Rohit Sharma’s place in Test cricket. A century and a couple of half-centuries in the four Tests confirmed Rohit Sharma as India’s best batsman in the series, with him finishing 2021 as the second-highest run-scorer in Tests, trailing only Joe Root. He will almost certainly be nominated for the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award in 2021.
4. Dimuth Karunaratne – Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of the great nations that has seen a decline in their Test cricket modern era. However, there was one player who walked the talk for the Sri Lankan lions in 2021, and that player was none other than Dimuth Karunaratne. Dimuth Karunaratne is the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket in 2021, having scored 902 runs in just 7 matches at an astounding average of 69.38.
5. Joe Root (England) Can Win ICC Cricketer Of The Year Award In 2021.
Joe Root had a fantastic 2021 in Test cricket, establishing himself as the best Test batsman in modern-day cricket. So far in 2021, Joe Root has scored 1544 runs in Test cricket at an average of 64.33, with a high score of 228. The England captain has 1,541 runs in 2021, breaking Michael Vaughan’s 2002 record of 1,481 runs. On Day 3 of the Ashes series opener against Australia, Joe Root set a new record for the most Test runs by an England batter in a calendar year with his unbroken 159-run stand with Dawid Malan.
The English captain went on to score massive centuries against Sri Lanka and India on the subcontinent. His captaincy has come under fire, but Joe Root has been England’s lone warrior in Tests in 2021, as Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes have missed the majority of the year. When the ICC decides to award the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year awards, Joe Root’s name will undoubtedly be on the ballot.
Most Runs in Tests 2021 & Players Eligible for ICC Test Cricketer Of The Year Awards
| #Ranking | Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Runs in 2021 | High Score | 100s | 50s | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Root | England | 13 | 25 | 1,544 | 228 | 6 | 2 | 64.33 |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma | India | 11 | 21 | 906 | 161 | 2 | 4 | 47.68 |
| 3 | Dimuth Karunaratne | Sri Lanka | 7 | 13 | 902 | 244 | 4 | 3 | 69.38 |
| 4 | Rishabh Pant | India | 11 | 19 | 706 | 101 | 1 | 5 | 41.53 |
| 5 | Abid Ali | Pakistan | 9 | 15 | 695 | 215* | 2 | 2 | 49.64 |
| 6 | Cheteshwar Pujara | India | 13 | 24 | 686 | 91 | 0 | 6 | 29.83 |
| 7 | KC Brathwaite | West Indies | 10 | 20 | 675 | 126 | 1 | 4 | 33.75 |
| 8 | H D R L Thirimanne | Sri Lanka | 7 | 13 | 659 | 140 | 2 | 4 | 50.69 |
| 9 | K R Mayers | West Indies | 10 | 20 | 636 | 210* | 1 | 2 | 35.33 |
| 10 | Liton Das | Bangladesh | 7 | 12 | 594 | 114 | 1 | 5 | 49.50 |
Also, Check out: Most Wickets By Spinners in Test Cricket History (Fastest To 400 Wickets).
Conclusion
This article is based on the ICC Cricketer Of The Year Award for all formats and has been updated with statistics from ESPNcricinfo.com’s official 2021 updates. We hope you enjoyed our article; please feel free to share your valuable thoughts in the comments section; your words are important to us. The information on this page is subject to change at any time. Our website makes no guarantees about the information’s accuracy.
