5 contenders for the ICC Associate Player of the Year

The ICC first began acknowledging excellent performances on the field with the introduction of its prestigious annual awards in 2004. The list of awards presented at the ICC's ceremony includes the Cricketer of the Year across formats in men's and women's cricket as well as the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for overall excellence.

However, the most unnoticed of these recognitions happens to be that of the ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year Award which is given to the best performer among the Associate nations.

For the 2017 awards, to be given for the period between 21 September 2016 and 21 September 2017, the following are the five contenders:

#1 Rashid Khan, Afghanistan

The most likely to pip the others for the award, Afghanistan's teenage leg-spinner Rashid Khan has earned a reputation for choking the opposition's innings by delivering when it matters the most. His accurate leg-spinners with varying pace, and skillful usage of the googly have given him as many as 43 ODI wickets in 16 matches at an astounding average of 11.05 and a fantastic economy rate of 3.79.

In T20 cricket, Rashid has done equal damage with 23 wickets in 13 games at a measly average of 9.87 and an economy of 4.83, exemplary in the days of slam-bang batting. In fact, his T20 exploits landed him contracts with multiple T20 league teams across the world including the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL.

#2 Kyle Coetzer, Scotland

Kyle Coetzer has got runs at a high strike rate across both formats

A top-order right-hander who has been serving his country for nine years, Kyle Coetzer has enjoyed a memorable season. Coetzer has performed brilliantly in both formats and boasts an especially good ODI record. In four matches, he smashed 227 runs with one hundred and a half-century against Zimbabwe. While getting runs at an average of 56.75, Coetzer also has an impressive strike rate of 94.19.

In as many matches in T20 internationals, Coetzer hit 100 runs, maintaining a strike rate of 125.

#3 Amjad Javed, UAE

Amjad Javed has developed an image of a swing bowler as well as a big hitter

The right-arm medium pacer Amjad Javed, who first played for his country in 2008, has developed an image of a strike bowler as well as a hard hitter down the order. Javed has learnt the art of bowling outswingers to perfection and even played for UAE in the 2015 World Cup, the first time that they qualified for the tournament.

Having played four ODIs in the time frame, although Javed failed to pick up a wicket, his low economy rate of exactly four runs an over is exceptional. In seven T20s, he took 13 scalps at an average of merely 14.23 and a moderate economy of 7.12.

#4 William Porterfield, Ireland

Opening batsman William Porterfield has so far played 109 ODIs and 56 T20s for Ireland

A veteran of Ireland cricket, left-handed opener William Porterfield has been one of their pillars at the top. He has been there and seen it all: from victory over Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup to that famous one over England in 2011, Porterfield has been at the heart of it all. Also regarded as a fine slip fielder, Porterfield has amassed 582 runs at 41.57 during the aforementioned period while striking at 84.59.

While he may not have been that successful in T20 cricket, he often provided stable starts for Ireland, striking at a respectable rate of 110.53.

#5 Shaiman Anwar, UAE

Shaiman Anwar has hit 364 runs in T20 cricket at a strike rate of 133.33 in the past year

A fluent top-order, right-handed batsman, Shaiman Anwar was a part of the UAE team which played in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. That proved to be his most memorable experience till date. He garnered 311 runs at a staggering average of 51.83 with two half-centuries and a hundred.

And in the past year, Anwar, born and brought up in Pakistan, showed his abilities yet again, particularly in T20 cricket. He hit 364 runs in eight T20s at an average of 45.50 and an excellent strike rate of 133.33. Though he averaged only 25 in ODIs during this time, his influence has been essential for UAE moving forward in the international stage.