Rizwan bags ICC Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year award

KARACHI: Pakistan’s star wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, who performed extremely well in last year, was named the Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year by International Cricket Council on Sunday.

The ICC said commended Rizwan for sheer “consistency, indomitable spirit and plenty of breathtaking knocks”.

“The Pakistan wicket keeper-batsman ruled the roost in 2021 when it came to the shortest format of the game,” the ICC said of Rizwan after crowning him as the best T20I player of the year.

Rizwan aggregated a staggering 1,326 runs in only 29 matches at an average of 73.66 and a strike-rate of 134.89 last year.

Rizwan, while sharing his views on the achievement, said he is more happy because Pakistan has won the award.

“It is a pleasure to see Pakistan’s name among the top teams of the world,” Rizwan said in a conversation with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Rizwan gave credit for his award to the team management, his fellow cricketers and analysts, saying that “team Pakistan has a standing in the top squads of the world due to everyone’s hard work”.

Rizwan said he was confident to perform well this year too. He said he was hopeful he would perform well in the T20 World Cup in Australia this year.

ICC appreciated Rizwan for his impressive innings in the high-voltage T20 World Cup match against India that helped Pakistan beat the arch-rivals for the first time in any world cup. Rizwan smacked an unbeaten 79 runs off 55 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes.

He scored the maiden T20I century of his career against South Africa in Lahore early in the year and ended it continuing his form with a brilliant knock of 87 against West Indies in Karachi.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja congratulated Rizwan on a “well deserved achievement”.

ICC had also included Rizwan in its T20I team of the year along with Babar and Shaheen.