Shaheen Afridi, Hassan Ali, M. Rizwan and M Wasim Jr. amongst winners of the PCB Awards 2021

[MenInG]

Shortlists for PCB Awards 2021 unveiled

• Shaheen Shah Afridi nominated in five categories; Hasan Ali and Mohammad Rizwan shortlisted in three categories each; Babar Azam, Fawad Alam and Haris Rauf chosen in two categories each


Lahore, 4 January 2022:

Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been shortlisted in five categories for the PCB Awards 2021, which are held to recognise, appreciated and reward high-performing cricketers in a calendar year. The winners will be announced in a virtual digital show, which will be live-streamed on the PCB YouTube and Facebook Channels on Thursday, 6 January 2022, at 7pm PKT.

The 21-year-old left-arm fast bowler has been nominated in Impactful Performance of the Year, T20I Cricketer of the Year, ODI Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year categories by an independent 10-member jury, which comprised former international cricketers, broadcasters and respected members of the media.

Shaheen had a stellar 2021 across all formats. In nine Tests, he took 47 wickets and backed up with eight wickets in six ODIs and 23 wickets in 21 T20Is. His three for 31 against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has made him one of the four candidates for the Impactful Performance of the Year award.

Run-machine Mohammad Rizwan and fast bowler Hasan Ali also had a year to celebrate, which is now reflected in their nominations.

While Rizwan has earned nominations for the Impactful Performance of the Year, T20I Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year, Hasan Ali has been shortlisted for the Impactful Performance of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year awards.

Babar Azam, Fawad Alam and Haris Rauf have been shortlisted in two categories each.

Babar, who won the Most Valuable Cricketer of 2020, has once again been nominated in this category, while his other nomination is in the ODI Cricketer of the Year. Fawad Alam also makes a second successive entry in the Impactful Performance of the Year, while his second nomination is in the Test Cricketer of the Year. Haris Rauf has been shortlisted in the T20I and ODI Cricketer of the Year categories.

For the Emerging Cricketer of the Year, Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Junior and Shahnawaz Dahani have been shortlisted. Players born on or after 1 August 1998 or have made international debuts in this calendar year or have played in a minimum of 15 matches in the Cricket Association events and HBL PSL in this calendar year are eligible. Player(s) once nominated in this category, cannot be re-nominated. This means Haider Ali and Mohammad Huraira, despite impressive performances, were not considered as they had been shortlisted last year.

Nevertheless, Huraira has been grouped with Asif Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan and Tayyab Tahir for the Domestic Cricketer of the Year award, while Aliya Riaz, who won the award last year, has been shortlisted along with Anam Amin, Fatima and Nida Dar are in contention to win the Women’s Cricketer of the Year award.

The winners of the Umpire of the Year and Spirit of Cricket awards will be announced directly on Thursday, 6 January, at 7pm PKT.

SHORTLISTS:

Domestic Cricketer of the Year

• Asif Afridi (59 wickets in Pakistan Cup, National T20 and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy)
• Iftikhar Ahmed (1,456 runs in Pakistan Cup, National T20 and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy)
• Mohammad Huraira (986 runs in his debut Quaid-e-Azam Trophy)
• Sahibzada Farhan (1869 runs in Pakistan Cup, National T20 and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy)
• Tayyab Tahir (1,670 runs in Pakistan Cup, National T20 and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy


Emerging Cricketer of the Year (Players born on or after 1 August 1998 or have made international debuts in this calendar year or have played in a minimum of 15 matches in the Cricket Association events and HBL PSL in this calendar year are eligible. Player(s) once nominated in this category, cannot be re-nominated).

• Arshad Iqbal
• Azam Khan
• Mohammad Wasim Jnr
• Shahnawaz Dahani


Women’s Cricketer of the Year

• Aliya Riaz (11 ODIs, 382 runs; 6 T20Is, 94 runs; 364 runs in Pakistan Women’s Cup)
• Anam Amin (9 ODIs, 15 wickets; 6 T20Is, 7 wickets)
• Fatima Sana (13 ODIs, 20 wickets; 3 T20Is, 4 wickets; 6 wickets in Pakistan Women’s Cup)
• Nida Dar (10 ODIs, 363 runs and 6 wickets; 6 T20Is, 95 runs and 7 wickets; 146 runs and 14 wickets in Pakistan Women’s Cup)


Impactful performance of the year

• Fawad Alam (109 v SA, 1st Test)
• Hasan Ali (10-114 v SA, 2nd Test)
• M Rizwan (79* v Ind, T20 World Cup)
• Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-31 v Ind, T20 World Cup)


T20I Cricketer of the Year

• Haris Rauf (23 T20Is, 25 wickets)
• M Rizwan (29 T20Is, 1,326 runs)
• Shadab Khan (18 T20Is, 20 wickets, Eco. 6.64)
• Shaheen Shah Afridi (21 T20Is, 23 wickets. Eco. 7.86)


ODI Cricketer of the Year

• Babar Azam (6 ODIs, 405 runs)
• Fakhar Zaman (6 ODIs, 365 runs)
• Haris Rauf (6 ODIs, 13 wickets)
• Shaheen Shah Afridi (6 ODIs, 8 wickets)


Test Cricketer of the Year

• Abid Ali (9 Tests, 695 runs)
• Fawad Alam (9 Tests, 571 runs)
• Hasan Ali (9 Tests, 41 wickets)
• Shaheen Shah Afridi (9 tests, 47 wickets)


Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year

• Babar Azam (8 Tests, 416 runs; 6 ODIs, 405 runs; 29 T20Is, 939 runs)
• Hasan Ali (8 tests, 41 wickets; 4 ODIs, 7 wickets; 18 T20Is, 25 wickets)
• M Rizwan (9 Tests, 455 runs; 6 ODIs, 134 runs; 29 T20Is, 1,326 runs; total dismissal 56)
• Shaheen Shah Afridi (9 Tests, 47 wickets; 6 ODIs, 8 wickets; 21 T20Is, 23 wickets)

 

[MenInG]

So Azam Khan - emerging player?

 

[Rana]

MW JR 100% emerging player

 

[MenInG]

Shaheen Shah Afridi won the most impressive performance award of the year 2021

The award was given to the fast bowler for taking 3 wickets for 31 runs against India in the T20 World Cup.

I always come on the field thinking of good performances for Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi

This bowling spell of T20 World Cup will always be memorable, Shaheen Shah Afridi

In this bowling spell, KL Rahul's wicket was his favorite ball, Shaheen Shah Afridi

 

[James]

Mohammad Rizwan has won the PCB’s Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award following a stellar 2021 in which he scored 455 Test, 134 ODI and 1,326 T20I runs, besides accounting for 56 batsmen behind the wickets across all formats.

For the Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award, Rizwan beat the challenge of Babar Azam, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who also had an impressive and outstanding year, which is reflected through Pakistan’s overall performance in 2021.

In addition to the Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award, Rizwan was also unanimously selected by an independent panel* as the T20I Cricketer of the Year.

Mohammad Rizwan: “I feel humbled and honoured to have been adjudged Pakistan’s Most Valuable Cricketer of 2021. This is the PCB’s most prestigious award and to be recognised for my contributions in the team’s superlative performances across all formats in 2021 in such a way gives me tremendous satisfaction and happiness.

“I thought I had an exceptional year in the shortest format of the game when I was able to hit a century early in the year against South Africa and then carry that confidence and momentum for the rest of the year. I give a lot of credit to our bowlers who bowled their hearts out and didn’t let the pressure get onto the batters by maintaining sustained pressure on the opponents throughout the year.”

Hasan Ali won the Test Cricketer of the Year for his 41 wickets in nine Tests, including a 10-for and five, five-fors as well as two player of the match and one player of the series awards.

Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam bagged the ODI Cricketer of the Year award for accumulating 405 runs in six ODIs with two centuries and a half-century.

Hasan Ali: “Test cricket is the pinnacle format of the game and to be adjudged as the Test Cricketer of the Year is a proud moment for me. Last year was sort of a comeback year for me after I had missed international cricket in 2020 due to an injury. I was not only able to make a successful return to international cricket but also played my part in the team’s overall success in 2021.

“Taking 10 wickets against South Africa in Rawalpindi in my second Test in nearly two years and helping Pakistan win the series 2-0 was one of my highlights of the year and a very happy moment that set the stage for the remaining part of the year.”

Shaheen Shah Afridi’s three for 31 against India on 24 October in Dubai in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 won him the Impactful Performance of the Year award. This performance changed the outlook of the side as it not only defeated India by 10 wickets but remained unbeaten in the league matches until they lost a heart-breaking match to Australia in the semi-final. Subsequent to the T20 World Cup, Pakistan remained unbeaten in Bangladesh as well as in the home T20I series against the West Indies.

Shaheen Shah Afridi: “I am extremely happy that my performance against our traditional rivals in a global event has been chosen as the Impactful Performance of the Year. For the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the team wanted an aggressive, fearless and convincing start to set the tone for the rest of the event and I am delighted that I was able to provide exactly that.”

Mohammad Wasim Junior bagged the Emerging Cricketer of the Year for his 45 wickets in 2021, including 15 wickets in his first year of international cricket, while Nida Dar was named as the Women’s Cricketer of the Year after aggregating 604 runs and taking 25 wickets.

Sahibzada Farhan won the Domestic Cricketer of the Year following his 487 runs in the Pakistan Cup, 447 runs in the National T20 and 935 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

For the second successive year, PCB’s elite match officials voted Asif Yaqoob as the Umpire of the Year.

Pakistan cricket team’s visit to the Namibia dressing room following their 45 runs victory to congratulate and appreciate them on their qualification for their maiden ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and reaching the Super-12 stage won them the Spirit of Cricket award.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “On behalf of the PCB, I want to congratulate each award winner. They deserve all the applause and accolades for their tremendous consistency across all formats in difficult times that inspired their sides to outstanding performances throughout 2021, which have been widely acknowledged by the Pakistan cricket fans.”

PCB Awards 2021 winners:

Impactful performance of the year - Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-31 v Ind, T20 World Cup)

Emerging Cricketer of the Year - Mohammad Wasim Jnr (15 international wickets, seven Pakistan Cup wickets, 12 HBL PSL 2021 wickets, five National T20 wickets and six Quaid-e-Azam Trophy wickets)

ODI Cricketer of the Year - Babar Azam (6 ODIs, 405 runs)

Women’s Cricketer of the Year - Nida Dar (10 ODIs, 363 runs and 6 wickets; 6 T20Is, 95 runs and 5 wickets; 146 runs and 14 wickets in Pakistan Women’s Cup)

Test Cricketer of the Year - Hasan Ali (9 Tests, 41 wickets, 5 five-fors, 1 10-for, best match figures 10-114)

T20I Cricketer of the Year - M Rizwan (29 T20Is, 1,326 runs)

Spirit of Cricket – Pakistan cricket team’s visit to the Namibia cricket team’s dressing room following their 45 runs victory to congratulate the Namibia side for qualifying for their maiden ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and then progressing to the Super-12 Stage

Umpire of the Year – Asif Yaqoob (selected by the PCB’s elite match officials)

Domestic Cricketer of the Year - Sahibzada Farhan (1,869 runs in Pakistan Cup, National T20 and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy)

Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year - M Rizwan (9 Tests, 455 runs; 6 ODIs, 134 runs; 29 T20Is, 1,326 runs; total dismissal 56)

 

[ARK Rafay]

Domestic Cricketer of the Year doesn't even get picked for PSL.

 

[Saj]

Pakistan cricket team’s visit to the Namibia dressing room following their 45 runs victory to congratulate and appreciate them on their qualification for their maiden ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and reaching the Super-12 stage won them the Spirit of Cricket award.

Giving yourself an award

 

[Savak]

Are these awards purely symbolic or do these players get a handsome cash reward as well?

 

[Major]

Dont mind these awards, they are good. They are self awards but the real awards are the ICC awards and im really praying that this time we bag the cricketer of the year award and odi player of the year award aswell

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Reminds me of the meme with Obama putting a medal on himself.

Regarding the players, it was just 4 players doing good throughout (Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen and Hasan) alongwith Fawad doing well in Tests. So a 5 man show basically. Others were basically passengers throughout the year.

 

[Saj]

Are these awards purely symbolic or do these players get a handsome cash reward as well?

A pat on the back and perhaps a trophy during the PSL.