The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named T20 team of the year today on the basis of performances of the players in the shortest format of the game in 2021 and while Babar Azam has been named the captain of the side, there has been no Indian player included in the XI.
India didn’t play too many T20 games through the year and their performance in the T20 World Cup was very dismal as well. Pakistan, on the other hand, had a great run in the World Cup and although they lost in the semifinal against Australia, they were easily one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament.
Three Pakistani players have been picked in ICC’s T20 team of the year, including their captain Babar Azam, their vice captain Mohammad Rizwan and their premier fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi. Mohammad Rizwan has been slotted to open the batting with the England vice captain Jos Buttler, while Babar Azam has been slotted to bat at no. 3.
The middle order has Aiden Markram who was one of the most consistent T20 players last year and Mitchell Marsh who was the man of the match in the final of the T20 World Cup played between Australia and New Zealand. The South African left hander David Miller has been designated the finisher role and he will be batting at no. 6, while Wanindu Hasaranga will be the all-rounder of the side batting at no. 7.
Apart from Shaheen Shah Afridi, the other bowlers that ICC jury has picked in the T20 team of the year are Josh Hazlewood, who after having a very successful IPL went on to have a fine T20 World Cup as well for Australia, the world no. 1 T20 spinner Tabraiz Shamsi and the Bangladesh left arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman.
Pakistan’s white ball cricket is making rapid strides under Babar Azam
This is after a long time that no Indian player has been able find a place in ICC’s T20 team of the year and it truly reflects on India’s form in white ball cricket at the moment which is slightly indifferent to their form in test match cricket, where they are probably the best team in the world.
Pakistan, however, since the time Babar Azam has taken over the captaincy, has made rapid strides in white ball cricket and are looking like a formidable unit now both with the bat and the ball, having plenty of options in the first XI and on the bench.
Here is the T20 team of the year announced by the ICC –
The ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year certainly packs a punch 👊
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— ICC (@ICC) January 19, 2022
