After a succession of excellent performances across forms, Babar Azam has won the coveted Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year 2022.
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In 2022, the winner of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year had a memorable year. After a succession of excellent performances across forms, Babar Azam has won the coveted Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2022. Last year, the Pakistani captain scored 2598 runs from 44 international matches at an average of 54.12, thanks to eight hundred and 15 half-centuries. Here, we look at his efforts and recognise some notable accomplishments.
It’s difficult to believe that Babar Azam improved even more during 2022, as the inspired captain achieved more individual records and ensured Pakistan’s light shone brightly. Babar was the only player across all formats to surpass the 2000-run mark throughout the calendar year, and he did so in style, accumulating a mammoth 2598 runs at an imposing average of 54.12.
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The powerful right-hander of eight hundred and 17 fifties throughout the calendar year was the greatest of his career to date, and there’s no doubt he’s at the top of his game right now. With another brilliant year, the 29-year-old maintains his domination in world cricket. Despite his team’s troubles, Babar had a significant influence with his bat. Last year, he was the only player to score 2000 runs or more across all forms, with 1184 runs from nine Tests. He was the leading Test run-scorer in 2022, with an average of 69.64 and four hundreds and seven fifties.
The ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year for 2021 maintained his dominance in the 50-over format, accumulating 679 runs in nine matches. It is a credit to his consistency because he hit 50 or more runs in eight of those innings. He maintains his top status in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, and it was no surprise to see the 28-year-old named ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Despite team outcomes not always going his way, Babar had a fantastic year in Test cricket. He scored 1184 runs in nine matches and handled the majority of the heavy lifting for Pakistan in the lengthier format.
It was also a memorable year for Babar as captain in white-ball formats, with Pakistan winning all three ODI series and losing only one match out of nine to Australia. In the T20I format, he led Pakistan to their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final since 2009, as runners-up to eventual champions England. The odds are stacked against Pakistan, but one man stood between Australia and victory in the second Test in Karachi. In the first innings, Pakistan were bowled out for 148, giving Australia a massive 408-run lead. With less than six sessions remaining, the visitors batted again and set a target of 506 runs.
