As Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Award for a second consecutive year in 2022, there were game-changing hits, mesmerising stroke play, and unforgettable moments for both him personally and his team.
Here, we examine his performances and recognise some of his year’s most notable accomplishments.
Babar Azam
3 centuries and 679 runs from nine games at an average of 84.87.
The previous year
If you thought the Pakistan captain had a memorable ODI season in 2021, wait until you see what he did in 2022. The ultra-reliable right-hander continued to hold the No. 1 spot among batters in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings.
Since July 2021, Babar has clung tenaciously to the title and, based on recent performances, has no plans to relinquish it easy.
Babar played nine ODI games in 2022, which may come as a surprise to some, but the 28-year-old made the most of them by smashing three centuries, five half-centuries, and only truly struggling with the bat once.
Babar excelled not only on an individual level, but also as the captain of Pakistan, who guided the team to a perfect record of one win and no losses in the entire year.
Azam was an obvious choice to win the prized ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year award in 2022 given that Pakistan’s lone loss in 50-over cricket last year occurred against Australia in Lahore.
A performance to remember
Babar Azam put on fantastic ODI performances after incredible ODI performances in 2022, but none was more noteworthy or as impressive as the brilliant 114 against Australia in Lahore at the end of March.
After losing the first game of the series against an always-tough Australian team, Pakistan needed to win this game more than anything. Babar came through when Pakistan needed him the most, helping his team chase down a huge total of 349 with just four wickets lost and six deliveries remaining.
As Pakistan made their highest-ever successful chase in ODIs, the remaining batters completed the task, thus it was no surprise that their inspiring captain was rightfully voted Player of the Match.