Babar Azam named captain of ICC Men’s T20I team of the year 2021; no Indian makes the cut

Three Pakistani players named in the ICC t20I Team of the year 2021.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), on January 19, 2022, announced the Men’s T20I team of the year for 2021 on its website. The team saw the 11 best performers in the T20I format from across all the teams and Pakistan’s Babar Azam was named captain of the unit.

Jos Buttler of England and Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan were picked as the openers for the team of the year with Rizwan being named as the wicketkeeper of the side.

Buttler scored his maiden T20I century in the recent T20 World Cup 2021, while Rizwan obliterated the record for most runs in a year in T20Is, by scoring 1326 runs with one century and 12 half-centuries to his name.

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Babar Azam created history by becoming the first Pakistan skipper to lead the team to a victory over archrivals India which came in the T20 World Cup 2021 match in Dubai. Overall, Babar played 29 matches and aggregated 939 runs at an average of 37.56 with one century and nine half-centuries. He also led the Men in Green to the semi-final of the ICC event.

Aiden Markram of South Africa, Mitchell Marsh of Australia, and David Miller of South Africa were the middle-order batters in the team.

In 18 matches, Markram notched up 570 runs at 43.84 with six half-centuries, striking at 148.82. Mitchell Marsh was the key for Australia at no.3 with the bat, as he powered the Kangaroos to their maiden T20 World Cup win in Dubai last year. David Miller had a fruitful 2021, scoring 377 runs in 17 matches, striking at 149.60. 

Wanindu Hasaranga and Tabraiz Shamsi, who traded places as the no.1 ranked T20I bowler throughout the year are the two spinners in the XI. Hasaranga picked up 36 wickets in 20 matches at 11.63, while also scoring 196 runs in what was a breakout year for the Sri Lankan tweaker.

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Shamsi delivered more often than not for South Africa, as in 22 matches, he scalped 36 wickets at an average of 13.36 and a miserly economy of 5.72. 

Josh Hazlewood had an amazing run in 2021 in T20Is as in 15 matches, he scalped 23 wickets and earned a T20 World Cup medal as well. Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman continued his dominance in the T20 format, picking up 28 wickets in 20 matches at an average of 17.39.

Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi rocked the Indian batting lineup in the most-watched T20I clash of all time in the T20 World Cup 2021, scalping three big wickets and handing India their biggest loss in the format ever, by 10 wickets. Afridi picked up 23 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 26.04 and an economy of 7.86.

Here is the ICC Men’s T20I team of the year for 2021:

Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Babar Azam (Captain), Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Wanindu Hasaranga, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi.