5 Players Who Can Win The ICC ODI Cricketer Of The Year Award

5 Players Who Can Win The ICC ODI Cricketer Of The Year Award. The year 2021 saw the rise of a lot of cricketers from lesser-known teams as the top teams were either busy playing the Test matches or T20Is. The Test matches were part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle 2021-23 while the T20Is were played to prepare for the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Teams like Ireland, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc have played most matches on the 50-over format whereas teams like India, England and Australia have played the least games this year.

2021 saw the emergence of players from lesser-known teams as they stamped their authority in the ODI format with loads of runs for their teams. On that note, let’s take a look at 5 players who can win the ICC ODI Cricketer Of The Year Award.

5 Players Who Can Win The ICC ODI Cricketer Of The Year Award

5. Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim has been the leading run-getter for Bangladesh this year. In nine ODIs he played, he has amassed 407 runs with two fifties and one hundred at an average of 58.14. Bangladesh clean-swept teams like West Indies (3-0) and Zimbabwe by 3-0 as well. They won the three-match series against Sri Lanka 2-1 and were blackwashed by New Zealand in the three-match series. Meanwhile, Rahim’s name will be up for grabs if ICC decides to name the ODI Player Of The Year.

4. Paul Stirling

Ireland is famous for pulling upset in the 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cups as they beat Pakistan and England respectively. This year, have managed to win only four games out of 14 this year. However, the 134 ODI-veteran has had a terrific year with the bat in 2021 so far. In 14 games, he has accumulated 705 runs at an average of 54.23 with three hundred and two fifties. His side has played teams like UAE, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Netherlands.

3. Janneman Malan

Janneman Malan has emerged as one of the rising stars on the South Africa side. In eight ODIs he played this year, he has scored 509 runs at an astonishing average of 84.83. His side lost the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka by 2-1, levelled the ODI series against Ireland by 1-1 and also lost to Pakistan at home by a 2-1 margin. However, Malan has stamped his authority against every opposition and has shown his potential in the international circuit.

2. Fakhar Zaman 

Fakhar Zaman is one of the explosive opening batsmen in modern-day cricket. Indian cricket fans remember him for his hundred against India in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Pakistan went on to win that game. This year, he has played six games and has amassed 365 runs at an average of 60.83 with the highest score of 193 runs. His side has won three-match ODI series against South Africa by 2-1 while being blackwashed by second-string England by 3-0.

1. Mahmudullah

The 200-ODI veteran has amassed 399 runs at an average of 49.88 which is marvellous given the fact that he is a lower middle-order batsman. Recently he has retired from Test cricket but will continue to play the ODI and T20 format. He is also the T20 captain for Bangladesh.

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