Babar and Sciver declare the double as last ICC Awards 2022 winners revealed

• Babar Azam and Nat Sciver scoop high males’s and girls’s awards respectively, plus ODI Cricketers of the Yr

• England skipper Ben Stokes wins ICC Males’s Check Cricketer of the Yr

• Others honoured embody umpire Richard Illingworth and Aasif Sheikh of Nepal

• Extra details about the ICC Awards, together with a abstract of all winners is out there here

The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) in the present day unveiled the ultimate checklist of winners celebrated within the particular person classes of the ICC Awards 2022. Among the many classes revealed on ICC’s digital channels have been the celebrated Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Males’s Cricketer of the Yr and the coveted Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Girls’s Cricketer of the Yr.

Pakistan icon Babar Azam was revealed the winner of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, in addition to scooping the Males’s ODI Cricketer of the Yr prize, whereas England’s all-round sensation Nat Sciver emulates the feat by securing the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Girls’s ODI Cricketer of the Yr award.

Elsewhere, Ben Stokes was confirmed the ICC Males’s Check Cricketer of the Yr following a landmark spell as England captain, Richard Illingworth was named the ICC Umpire of the Yr and Nepal wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh was honoured within the Spirit of Cricket class.

The winners have been chosen following a world vote carried out amongst an impartial panel of distinguished media representatives – the ICC Voting Academy – whose votes have been mixed with these of cricket followers from world wide registered to icc-cricket.com.

Winners within the 13 particular person classes have been primarily based on general performances and achievements all through the calendar yr.

Babar Azam – Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy and Males’s ODI Cricketer of the Yr

By profitable the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, Babar turns into the second winner from Pakistan in consecutive years, emulating the feat of his teammate Shaheen Shah Afridi, who gained the prize in 2021. Babar additionally set new information in 2022, not least turning into the primary, and nonetheless the one, participant to win the ICC Males’s Participant of the Month award on two events.

Choosing up the place he left off in 2021, Babar loved one other momentous yr, captaining his aspect to 2 Finals, together with the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup in Australia. On the crease, he piled on the runs in all codecs, scoring over 2,500 worldwide runs throughout ODIs, T20Is and Checks, ending the yr because the main run-scorer within the latter.

The Pakistan batter additionally claims the ICC Males’s ODI Cricketer of the Yr award for a second successive yr – the primary to do that since Virat Kohli in 2017 and 2018. Babar consolidated his place atop the ODI batter rankings because of his staggering scoring consistency, registering 679 runs in 9 matches at a median of 84.87. Inside these numbers got here notable performances towards the likes of Australia, West Indies and New Zealand.

Reacting to the awards, Babar stated, “I really feel humbled to have been voted as winner of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy and be part of the ranks of a few of the most iconic and revered names who’ve beforehand gained the most important and most prestigious particular person award in our nice sport. I proceed to look as much as these gamers in addition to champions of the previous for inspiration, motivation and enchancment.

“As cricket is a staff sport, this recognition and achievement wouldn’t have been doable with out the overwhelming assist of my household, staff, followers and the establishment, to all of whom I’m enormously indebted and grateful.

“Each match I performed for Pakistan has been particular and memorable, however essentially the most satisfying and conducting facet for me was to compete and carry out in entrance of my dwelling followers towards Australia, England and New Zealand’s touring sides. After all, reaching the finals of two main tournaments within the United Arab Emirates and Australia have been additionally a few of the highlights for me and my staff, and we hope to do higher this yr, which goes to be equally demanding however extremely rewarding.”

Nat Sciver – Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Girls’s ODI Cricketer of the Yr

England’s Sciver loved a outstanding yr of type throughout all three codecs of the sport, and in claiming the celebrated Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, turns into the primary English winner of the award since Sarah Taylor again in 2014. 

An everyday determine in a extremely profitable yr for England in T20Is, she excelled within the longer format too, recording an aesthetic half-century within the Girls’s Ashes Check towards Australia in January and a dominant 169 not out towards a touring South Africa later within the yr.

Nonetheless the ODI format was the place Sciver really excelled in 2022, turning into the primary English winner of the ICC Girls’s ODI Cricketer of the Yr award. She now stands second within the MRF Tyres ICC Girls’s ODI Participant Rankings, after 833 runs in the course of the yr at 59.50. 

Amongst her thrilling performances is the memorable century scored within the Girls’s Cricket World Cup Ultimate in March, the place regardless of falling wanting the mammoth complete set by Australia, she took the combat to a fearsome bowling assault to file a memorable century, dragging her aspect again into rivalry in a excessive scoring spectacle.

Sciver evoked the legacy of Heyhoe Flint in her response, including, “It’s pretty to have been awarded the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Girls’s Cricketer of the Yr, particularly as Rachael was such a legend of the ladies’s sport in England and Wales. It’s all the time a privilege to be given particular person honours however no private achievements are doable with out the arduous work and togetherness of the entire staff. Choosing up a trophy or a medal is all of the extra particular if you do it alongside your teammates so hopefully that’s what 2023 has in retailer.”

“It means loads to have been awarded the ICC Girls’s ODI Cricketer of the Yr. It’s humorous that two of my standout moments in ODI cricket in 2022 got here in shedding causes. It’s a cliché, however I’d fortunately swap particular person honours for staff success as a result of they’re the moments you actually bear in mind. Congratulations to my fellow award-winners and thanks very a lot for the award.”

ICC Males’s Check Cricketer of the Yr

Ben Stokes was an influential determine on the coronary heart of the England staff that noticed a revival of fortunes in 2022. The previous Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy winner turns into the third Englishman to win the ICC Males’s Check Cricketer of the Yr award, behind teammate Joe Root who gained the award final yr, and Alastair Prepare dinner, who gained in 2011.

Alongside his excellent particular person performances within the longest format, scoring 870 runs and taking 26 wickets, Stokes secured the England captaincy in April and this instantly heralded a return to success.

The England skipper drove a pioneering method to Check captaincy, initiating a extra direct, aggressive fashion of play when it comes to each batting fashion, and declarations. For the reason that change, England have gained 9 of their final ten Checks, together with dramatic sequence wins towards Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand. 

Stokes mirrored on a momentous yr within the Check area, commenting, “I’d wish to thank the ICC, the panel and the followers for voting for me because the ICC Males’s Check Cricketer of the Yr. That is all the way down to the England gamers and administration for what has been such a constructive yr in Check cricket. We have now performed some unbelievable cricket with sequence wins towards New Zealand, South Africa, a major efficiency towards India and a historic victory in Pakistan. 

“We’re having fun with our cricket and love having enjoyable wherever we play. The best way during which we method Check cricket is to excite the followers and making it a spectacle for everybody to get behind and revel in whatever the consequence for England.

“We can’t look ahead to what’s in retailer over the subsequent 12 months.”

Spirit of Cricket Award

Nepal wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh was introduced the recipient of this yr’s ICC Spirit of Cricket Award following his selfless resolution to refuse the run-out of Andy McBrine of Eire throughout their T20I contest within the Oman Quadrangular Sequence again in February.

Within the 19th over of the primary innings, Nepal bowler Kamal Singh collided with McBrine trying to discipline the ball because the batters opted to take a fast single. With the Eire batter left on the ground, the ball was thrown to the wicketkeeper, however with McBrine nicely wanting his floor, Sheikh as an alternative refused the run out, permitting the batter to finish the run.

Talking on the second for which he obtained the award, Sheikh commented, “It’s an honour for me to obtain this award, as my coaches all the time taught me to be humble and play inside the Spirit of Cricket. 

“Speaking concerning the second, it was a spontaneous resolution on our half to not take the wicket as it might have been unfair to the batter. We wouldn’t have been happy with a wicket in these circumstances as it might have been towards our tradition, and the Spirit of the game.”

ICC Umpire of the Yr

Richard Illingworth claims his second David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Yr after beforehand profitable in 2019. Throughout 2022, Illingworth took cost of 24 worldwide fixtures, and the Emirates Elite Panel Match Official was chosen primarily based on the consistency of his resolution making and his communication and relationship with groups and captains in the course of the calendar yr.

Illingworth expressed his delighted on the award win, stating “I’m very honoured to obtain the ICC Umpire of the Yr award. There have been many individuals, coaches, colleagues and administration who’ve contributed in direction of my improvement over my profession each as a participant and umpire. Their enter has been substantial and invaluable and I’m perpetually grateful to them.

I proceed to be obsessed with cricket and after a few years within the skilled sport I’ll proceed to be taught and develop. I’d additionally wish to thank my household who’ve given me such nice assist over time to allow me to exit and revel in my umpiring world wide.”

ICC Voting Academy:

Anand Vasu, Anjum Chopra, Daniel Beswick, Daren Ganga, Emal Pasarly, Estelle Vasudevan, Faizan Lakhani, Firdose Moonda, Frankie Mackay, Ian Bishop, Ian Callender, Isobel Joyce, Javed Hamim Kakar, Lisa Sthalekar, Lydia Greenway, Mehluli Sibanda, Melinda Farrell, Mohammad Isam, Mohammad Sekander Ali, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Nasser Hussain, Natalie Germanos, Niall O’Brien, Paul Radley, Peter Della Penna, Peter Lalor, Rex Clementine, Russel Arnold, Sambit Bal, Shahid Hashmi, Simon Doull, Simon Wilde, Suzanne McFadden, Tristan Holme.