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Pakistan captain Babar Azam was announced as the winner of the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year award on Thursday, January 26.
The right-handed batter showcased tremendous form with the bat in the last calendar year. Babar finished as the leading run-getter for Pakistan in ODIs last year, finishing with 679 runs in just nine matches at an impressive average of 84.87.
It is worth mentioning that this is the second time in a row that Babar has been adjudged the Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year by the ICC. The star batter had three centuries and five half-centuries to his name in the calendar year.
Babar also performed admirably in the other two formats. He also bagged the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year. Furthermore, he was also named captain of the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2022.
Several fans took to social media, expressing their delight at Babar winning the two prestigious awards. Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:
Notably, Babar Azam received praise from all quarters for contributing significantly with the bat for Pakistan. The 28-year-old amassed 2598 runs in 44 matches across formats last year, averaging 54.12, including eight centuries and 15 fifties.
Babar Azam will next be seen in action during PSL 2023
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was slammed by many following the team's underwhelming performance during their home series against New Zealand.
The hosts failed to win a single match in the two-match Test series, as both fixtures ended in tame draws. To make matters worse, the Men in Green suffered an embarrassing 2-1 ODI series loss to the Kiwis.
While Babar fared well with the bat, his captaincy did come under scrutiny. He will aim to bounce back by leading Peshawar Zalmi to a championship triumph in the upcoming eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2023).
He was traded by Karachi Kings to the Peshawar-based franchise ahead of the season in exchange for Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik. With 2413 runs under his belt, Babar is the leading run-scorer in PSL history.
The latest edition of Pakistan's marquee T20 competition is set to kick off on February 13. Multan Sultans will take on Lahore Qalandars in the opening encounter of the season.
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