ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year 2024 announced, India stars snubbed; 3 Pakistan players included

The ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year 2024 has been announced with several surprises emerging out of it. Interestingly, the team doesn't have any players from the Big Three of international cricket - India, Australia, and England.

The squad has three players from Pakistan. A no. of youngsters who impressed in the 50-over format this year made the cut. Sri Lanka's captain Charith Asalanka will lead this team with Kusal Mendis as the designated wicketkeeper in the squad.

Pakistan's young opener Saim Ayub was chosen after impressive batting performances in ODIs while Rahmanullah Gurbaz was picked as his opening partner and the second wicketkeeper in the squad.

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ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year 2024 Announced

The squad looks well-balanced with several surprising names. Ayub and Gurbaz were selected on the basis of consistent performances in ODIs this year.

Ayub scored 515 runs in the year at an average of 64.37 and a strike rate of 105.53. All his nine matches have come in 2024 only. The left-hander played a key role in Pakistan's historic ODI series victories in Australia and South Africa.

Meanwhile, Gurbaz scored 531 runs in 11 matches at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 89.69. He has scored 3 hundreds and 2 fifties. He played a key role in Afghanistan's historic ODI series win over Afghanistan and emerged as the top run-getter in the series.

ICC MEN'S ODI TEAM OF THE YEAR. pic.twitter.com/0ZhkvMDDqT

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 24, 2025

Sri Lanka's batting trio of Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, and Charith Asalanka form the middle order. Nissanka smashed a fantastic double-hundred in earlier part of the year. He struck an unbeaten 210 against Afghanistan, which is the 6th highest ODI score of all time.

Nissanka emerged as the second-highest run-getter of the year. Meanwhile, Kusal Mendis is slotted at No. 4 and is also the wicketkeeper. Mendis is the highest run-scorer of 2024 with 742 runs in 17 matches at an average of 53.

Sri Lanka's skipper Charith Asalanka is slotted next with some exceptional numbers during this year. Asalanka scored 605 runs at an average of 50.41 and is third on the list of highest run-scorers, behind Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka.

Powerful in-form finishers included

West Indies' Sherfane Rutherford and Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai are the designated finishers who are also the fast bowling allrounders in this team.

Rutherford had a breakout year in ODIs. He scored five consecutive fifty-plus scores in the format and looked in great form with the bat against Bangladesh. The left-hander struck 452 runs in 9 ODIs in 2024 at an exceptional average of 106.25 and a strike rate of 120.05.

Meanwhile, Omarzai has emerged as a quality allrounder in international cricket. The right-hander 417 runs at an average of 52.12 and also picked up 17 wickets at an average of 20.47.

Pakistan's fast bowlers dominate bowling department

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga and Afghanistan's latest spin sensation Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar are the two spinners in this team. Hasaranga is the highest wicket-taker of the year with 26 wickets in 10 ODIs at an average of 15.61.

Meanwhile, Ghazanfar picked up 21 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 13.57 and emerged as the third0-highest wicket-taker of the year. He also became the fifth-youngest player to take a five-wicket haul in ODIs.

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf are the only two specialist fast bowlers in the Playing XI. Both were impressive during Pakistan's series wins in Australia and South Africa. Afridi picked up 15 wickets in 11 matches while Rauf finished with 13 wickets in 8 matches.