Babar named ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year, Stokes wins Test award

SportsMax - Pakistan

captain Babar Azam has beennamedtheICCMen’s CricketeroftheYear,while Ben Stokes landed theTest Cricketer of the Year award

Babar was outstanding with the bat in 2022, scoring 2,598 runs in 44 matches at an average of 54 12 and raking up eight centuries

The prolific righthander was the only player to reach the 2,000 landmark in the calendar year across all formats and led his side to the T20 World Cup final, which they lost against England at the MCGinNovember

It was the most successful year of Babar’s career, earning him the Sir Garfield SobersTrophy

Babar was also named the Men’s ODI Cricketer oftheYear

Stokes also enjoyed a yearthathewillneverforget, making a huge impact after being appointed as England Testcaptain.

The all-rounder could not have wished for a better start to a new era with him as skipper and Brendon McCullum head coach, turning England’s fortunes around with an i n c r e d i b l e transformation in a short spaceoftime

England had won only one of 17 Tests when Joe Root stepped down, but secured series wins over New Zealand and South Africa, beat India in a rearranged Test and c e l e b r a t e d a n unprecedented 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan awayfromhome Stokes led the side b r i l l i a n t l y a s a n aggressive brand of cricket paid dividends, while the all-rounder produced another matchwinning innings to seal a victory over Pakistan in theT20WorldCupfinal.

Hescored870runsatan average of 36.25 last year and took 26 wickets at an averageof31.19.

India run machine Suryakumar Yadav is the Men’sT20I Cricketer of the Year, having scored 1,164 runs in 31 matches at an average of 46 56 and a strike-rateof187.43.

Nat Sciver also starred for England in 2022 and wasonThursdaynamedas the winner of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the ICC Women’s CricketeroftheYear

All-rounder Sciver scored 1,346 runs and claimed 22 wickets from 33 international matches, starring as England were runners-up in the Women’s Cricket World Cup2022,

S c i v e r m a d e a magnificent unbeaten 148 from only 121 in a defeat againstAustraliainthefinal.