The International Cricket Council Awards for 2021 have been announced, with Pakistan cricketers dominating most categories. Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has won the ICC's Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for player of the year. Two of Afridi's compatriots, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have also received individual honors. The lone Indian to receive an ICC Award this year is Smriti Mandhana. Besides, English Test Captain Joe Root and South African Janneman Malan have also won individual awards. Let's have a look at the ICC awards winners 2021.
Winners of the ICC Awards 2021
The International Cricket Council has announced the winners of different categories. Here are the winners of the most notable categories.
Men's Cricketer of the Year
Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi has been awarded ICC Player of the Year for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. Afridi was unstoppable with the ball in 2021. He beat out Joe Root, Mohammad Rizwan, and Kane Williamson in the poll. Everyone was amazed by Afridi's bowling in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, especially his stint against India, which was one of the most memorable cricket performances of the year.
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Shaheen Afridi’s stats in 2021
M: 36 | Wkts: 78 | BBI: 6/51 | Ave: 22.20 | Econ: 4.10
Men's Test Cricketer of the Year
England's Captain Joe Root scored the most Test runs in 2021. He has won the Test Cricketer of the Year award over Ravichandran Ashwin, Kyle Jamieson, and Dimuth Karunaratne.
Joe Root’s Test stats in 2021:
M: 15 | Runs: 1708 | HS: 228 | Ave: 61.00 | 100s: 6
Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year
Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, has earned the ODI Cricketer of the Year award for his reliability as a captain and a player. He has won the prize over Shakib Al Hasan, Janneman Malan, and Paul Stirling.
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Babar Azam’s ODI stats in 2021:
M: 6 | Runs: 405 | HS: 158 | Ave: 67.50 | 100s: 2
Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year
Mohamad Rizwan of Pakistan was exceptional with the bat in 2021, particularly in the T20 format. He justifiably has earned the award after defeating Jos Buttler, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Mitchell Marsh in the voting poll.
Mohammad Rizwan’s T20I stats in 2021:
M: 29 | Runs: 1,326 | HS: 104* | Ave: 73.66 | 100s: 1
Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year
Janneman Malan of South Africa has claimed the Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year award.
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Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year
Zeeshan Maqsood from Oman has been named Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year.
Women’s Cricketer of the Year
Smriti Mandhana of India has been named Women's Cricketer of the Year, beating out Tammy Beaumont of England, Lizelle Lee of South Africa, and Gaby Lewis of Ireland in the vote.
Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year
South Africa's Lizelle Lee has been awarded Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year.
Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year
England's Tammy Beaumont has been named Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year.
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Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year
Pakistan's Fatima Sana has been voted Women's Emerging Cricketer of the Year.
Women's Associate Women's Cricketer of the Year
Women's Associate Cricketer of the Year has been awarded to Andrea-Mae Zepeda of Austria.
Umpire of the Year
One of the ICC's most renowned and veteran umpires Marais Erasmus has been named Umpire of the Year 2021.
Aftermath
Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan were Pakistan's best performers across all formats last year. They rightfully have received ICC awards for their efforts in 2021. Joe Root-led England's Test team had a difficult last year. However, Root was outstanding with the bat and rightly has earned the Test cricketer of the year award.
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In addition, India's Smriti Mandhana had a fantastic year with the bat in 2021, earning her the Women's Player of the Year honor. Cricket journalists and broadcasters voted for each category. Fans' votes also took into account submitted via the ICC's digital networks. The results of both polls were merged to determine the ICC awards winners 2021.