Last year was truly Mohammed Rizwan’s year for his exceptional performance and come back after some low forms. But in 2021, Rizwan hit it with the bang and showed the world who’s the boss. He gained immersive respect from all over the cricket fans out there.
The way he performed in every series, PSL, and especially T20 World Cup declared that he’s ready to be at the top. Before him, Babar Azam dominated in the T20 world and uplifted the bar.
But looks like his own friend Rizwan just surpassed him with much better performance over the 2021 and bagged Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award.
Mohammed Rizwan won the most valuable cricketer of the year award
On Thursday, the wicketkeeper and outstanding batsman Mohammed Rizwan won the most precious award of his career. The most valuable cricketer of the year award by PCB. In 2021, he scored 455 Test, 134 ODI, and 1,326 T20I runs.
The battle for this award was tough, because Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, and Shaheen Shah Afridi also performed outstandingly in 2021. On his big day, Rizwan said, “I feel humbled and honored to have been adjudged Pakistan’s Most Valuable Cricketer of 2021.
This is the PCB’s most prestigious award and to be recognized for my contributions in the team’s superlative performances across all formats in 2021 in such a way gives me tremendous satisfaction and happiness.”
He further added, “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,” he added.
His exceptional half-century batting performance against India led the team towards victory and created history.
Babar Azam ODI Cricketer of the Year award
On other hand, the skipper Babar Azam won the PCB’s ODI cricketer of the year award and Hasan Ali won the PCB’s Test Cricketer of the Year for his outstanding spell with the record of 41 wickets in nine Tests, including a 10-for and five, five-fors as well as two players of the match and one player of the series awards.
Hasan Ali said, “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,” said Hasan Ali.
“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,” he added.
Shaheen Afridi – Impactful Performance of the year
Shaheen Afridi’s marvelous performance especially against India in the T20 World Cup in which he bowled three main batsmen. His performance won him the most impactful performance of the year award by PCB.
Shaheen also shared his feelings after the award, “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,” said Shaheen.
“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,” he added.
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