ISLAMABAD: Wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan, who won hearts of cricket fans around the world in 2021, has been declared the Most Valuable Pakistan Cricketer for his exceptional performance with the bat and behind the wickets.
Rizwan scored 455 Test, 134 ODI and 1,326 T20I runs, besides accounting for 56 batsmen behind the wickets across all formats to earn the most valuable PCB award.
For the Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award, Rizwan beat the challenge of Babar Azam, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who also had an outstanding year, which is reflected through Pakistan’s overall performance in 2021.
In addition to the Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award, Rizwan was also unanimously selected by an independent panel as the T20I Cricketer of the Year.
The wicketkeeper batsman was overjoyed to receive the two awards. “I feel humbled and honoured to have been adjudged Pakistan’s Most Valuable Cricketer of 2021. This is the PCB’s most prestigious award and to be recognised for my contributions in the team’s superlative performances across all formats in 2021 in such a way gives me tremendous satisfaction and happiness.
“I thought I had an exceptional year in the shortest format of the game when I was able to hit a century early in the year against South Africa and then carry that confidence and momentum for the rest of the year. I give a lot of credit to our bowlers who bowled their hearts out and didn’t let the pressure get onto the batters.”
Hasan Ali won the Test Cricketer of the Year for his 41 wickets in nine Tests, including a 10-for and five, five-fors as well as two player of the match and one player of the series awards.
“Test cricket is the pinnacle format of the game and to be adjudged as the Test Cricketer of the Year is a proud moment for me. Last year was sort of a comeback year for me after I missed international cricket in 2020 due to an injury. I was not only able to make a successful return to international cricket but also played my part in the team’s overall success in 2021.
“Taking 10 wickets against South Africa in Rawalpindi in my second Test in nearly two years and helping Pakistan win the series 2-0 was one of my highlights of the year and a very happy moment,” Hasan said.
Captain Babar Azam bagged the ODI Cricketer of the Year award for accumulating 405 runs in six ODIs with two centuries and a half-century.
Shaheen Shah Afridi’s three for 31 against India on October 24 in Dubai in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 won him the Impactful Performance of the Year award. This performance changed the outlook of the side as it defeated India by 10 wickets.
Shaheen cherished the burst that rocked India: “I am extremely happy that my performance against our traditional rivals in a global event has been chosen as the Impactful Performance of the Year. For the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the team wanted an aggressive, fearless and convincing start to set the tone for the rest of the event and I am delighted that I was able to provide exactly that.”
Mohammad Wasim Junior bagged the Emerging Cricketer of the Year for his 45 wickets in 2021, including 15 wickets in his first year of international cricket.
Nida Dar was named as the Women’s Cricketer of the Year after aggregating 604 runs and taking 25 wickets.
Sahibzada Farhan won the Domestic Cricketer of the Year following his 487 runs in the Pakistan Cup, 447 runs in the National T20 and 935 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
For the second successive year, PCB’s elite match officials voted Asif Yaqoob as the Umpire of the Year.
Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year - M Rizwan (9 Tests, 455 runs; 6 ODIs, 134 runs; 29 T20Is, 1,326 runs; total dismissal 56)
Impactful performance of the year - Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-31 v Ind, T20 World Cup)
ODI Cricketer of the Year - Babar Azam (6 ODIs, 405 runs)