Kane Williamson, Mohammad Rizwan amongst four nominees for 2021 ICC Player of the year

The winner of the ICC Player of the Year award receives the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the four nominations for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Player of the Year 2021. The ICC Awards 2021 will recognize the outstanding achievements and feats in cricket over the past year. The winners of the ICC awards 2021 will be announced in January 2022.

The four nominees for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Player of the Year 2021 are Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan, England’s Joe Root, and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.

Shaheen Afridi picked 78 wickets in 36 internationals at an average of 22.20, with the best bowling figures of 6/51. His performance in the powerplay overs against India in their T20 World Cup 2021 encounter helped Pakistan register their maiden win over their archrivals in World Cup history.

England captain Joe Root had an amazing year with the bat scoring 1708 runs in Tests and overall 1855 runs in 18 international matches at an average of 58.37 with 6 centuries. He scored two double-centuries in Tests- 228 against Sri Lanka in Galle and 218 against India in Chennai, in what was his 100^th Test match.

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He made 554 runs in 4 Tests against India at home, including three centuries, and has been England’s best batter in their dismal performance in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 series.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson created history by leading the Kiwis to the first-ever World Test Championship, beating India in the finals in Southampton in July 2021. He made 693 runs in 16 internationals at an average of 43.31 with one century.

While it may not look like he scored a ton of runs, Williamson scored a vital 49 in the first innings of the WTC final against a quality bowling unit in conditions assisting the seamers. He followed it up with a crucial 52* in the run chase of 139, taking his side to win.

He also scored a valiant 43-ball 85 in the final of the T20 World Cup 2021 against Australia but suffered another heartbreaking loss in an ICC final.

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Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan created history by becoming the first batter to score 1,000 plus runs in a year in T20Is and 2,000 runs in a year in T20 cricket. He made 1915 runs in 44 internationals at an average of 56.32 with 2 centuries. 56 dismissals. 

He aggregated a staggering 1326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan struck at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89. In 9 Tests, Rizwan made 455 runs at an average of 45.50.

His best knock of the year came against India in the T20 World Cup 2021 match, when he smacked 79* in only 55 deliveries, hitting 6 fours and 3 sixes in a chase of 152 runs against a quality Indian attack. His knock ensured Pakistan won their first match in World Cup history against India by 10 wickets.

(ICC inputs)