What a year it has been for Sikandar Raza! The internationally acclaimed Zimbabwe cricketer won another huge accolade when he was named in the Men’s ODI Team Of The Year For 2022.
Sikandar Raza is also the only African to make the Men’s ODI Team Of The Year For 2022, selected by leading cricket publication ESPN CricInfo.
Below is the full ESPN CricInfo Men’s ODI Team Of The Year For 2022:
- Travis Head (Australia)
- Shubman Gill (India)
- Babar Azam Captain
- Shreyas Iyer (India)
- Tom Latham (New Zealand)
- Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Bangladesh)
- Alzrri Joseph (West Indies)
- Mohammed Siraj (India)
- Adam Zampa (Australia)
- Trent Boult (New Zealand)
Explaining the players who had been picked for the team of the year, ESPN CricInfo wrote:
Babar Azam, who was prolific in 50-over cricket in 2022, making three hundreds and five fifties in nine innings for Pakistan, leads our ODI XI and bats at No. 3 below openers Travis Head and Shubman Gill. India’s Shreyas Iyer, with over 700 runs at an average of 56, slots in at No. 4, followed by New Zealand keeper-batter Tom Latham and two offspinning allrounders, Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Both made unbeaten hundreds in home wins, Raza getting two in a series win over Bangladesh in Harare, and Miraz getting his while handing India a series defeat in Mirpur.
They will lend support to our canny bowling attack in which Adam Zampa brings the wristspin option, while Trent Boult offers left-arm variety to Alzarri Joseph and Mohammed Siraj‘s right-arm pace.
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Sikandar Raza’s selection comes a few months after the all-rounder became the first-ever Zimbabwe cricketer to scoop the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award.
Raza walked away with the gong following a splendid performance in August, where he notched three ODI centuries against Bangladesh and India in Harare.
A few weeks later, the veteran all-rounder led Zimbabwe at the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tournament in Australia.
Sikandar Raza was also instrumental as Zimbabwe came close to an appearance in the semi-finals. This included a stunning one-run victory over eventual runners-up Pakistan.-iharare
