Picture : Twitter/ ICC
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed its first individual award winners in the ICC Awards 2022, naming the stars honoured in the Associate, Emerging and T20I categories following a global vote conducted among the specialist panel of media representatives – the ICC Voting Academy – and global fans who voted for their favourite stars.
Winners in the 13 individual categories were based on overall performances and achievements throughout the calendar year, with the first set of results announced across ICC digital channels.
T20I Cricketers of the Year
The T20I Cricketers of the Year both find themselves at the summit of the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Player Rankings for batters – India’s Suryakumar Yadav claiming the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award, and Australia’s Tahlia McGrath named the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year.
Yadav showcased the full array of his inventive strokeplay in 2022 and his performances at the crease thrilled fans the world over, not least during his phenomenal campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Scoring 1,164 runs during the calendar year which included stylish centuries in England and New Zealand, no one amassed more runs in T20I cricket. Indeed, he was the only player to surpass the 1,000 run milestone in the format, at a staggering strike rate of 187.43.
Reacting to his award win, Yadav stated, “It is a great honour to have been voted the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year by the panel, especially after being nominated alongside such a strong list of contenders. I enjoyed many highlights during the year and to receive this award is another reason why 2022 was very special for me, with a lot of positives to take moving forward.
“This achievement is only made possible thanks to the teammates, coaches, support staff and cricket fans who helped me on my journey. We have a big year ahead in 2023, and I will strive to continue this success for my country in every performance.”
ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year Tahlia McGrath reached the summit of the T20I batter rankings back in December, and despite only having made her debut for Australia in late 2021, her rise to the top has seen plenty of individual and team success. Across several notable performances in the format during the year, she registered 435 runs at an average of 62.14. One of those moments came in her side’s Commonwealth gold-medal winning campaign in Birmingham, starring against Pakistan with an unbeaten 78 and three wickets – a display which helped her win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for August.
McGrath expressed delight, commenting “It’s an incredible honour to be named the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year, especially with so many incredible players across the world taking to the game to the next level.
“It’s been a great year for the team in the T20 format, winning the first ever women’s cricket gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and beating India at home; this is a really nice way to cap it off.”
Emerging Cricketers of the Year
Among the wealth of exciting talent to have surfaced in international cricket during 2022, India’s Renuka Singh claims the ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year from a competitive field, and South Africa’s Marco Jansen has beaten strong contenders to win the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year award.
Renuka gained her first cap for India in October 2021 and hasn’t looked back since. Her customary threat with the swinging ball helped her claim 40 international wickets during the year – 18 in ODIs and 22 in T20Is. Her tours of Sri Lanka and England were particularly prolific, and the former helped her gain her first nomination in the ICC Player of the Month category. She now stands comfortably in the top ten of the ICC Women’s T20I bowler rankings, and could be a key weapon for India’s campaign in the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
On winning the award, Renuka commented, “It was a dream for me making my debut for India in late 2021, and to be identified as the leading emerging talent in the women’s game gives me great confidence that I am on the right track. I have received great support from my teammates and coaches along the way, and I would like to thank them all for their encouragement over the past 12 months and more.
”It is a privilege to know that I was chosen for this award not only by the voting panel, but by fans around the world. I am truly humbled to be named the ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year, and I will use this to drive me and my team forward, not least as we approach next month’s Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.”
Marco Jansen has made a significant impact on international cricket since making his debut for South Africa in December 2021, most notably in the longest format. The athletic left-armer took 36 wickets in eight Test matches during 2022, all of which came against high-ranking Test sides; Australia, India, England and New Zealand. In addition to his impressive bowling average of 19.02, the 22-year-old also provided valuable runs in the lower order, underlining his credentials as a promising all-rounder to watch.
Jansen was equally thrilled with his award win, stating, “I am absolutely delighted to receive this award. I have worked hard on both my disciplines over the last 12 months, especially my batting, so to be rewarded by being named the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year for 2022 is a special honour.
“I would like to thank all the coaches, support staff and my teammates that have helped me develop over the past year and hopefully I can keep improving and performing for South Africa in the years to come.
Associate Cricketers of the Year
Two eye-catching performers celebrate the Associate accolades in the ICC Awards 2022, as Namibia’s influential leader Gerhard Erasmus claims the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year award, and the UAE’s all-round starlet Esha Oza secures the ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year award.
Erasmus became a familiar figure following Namibia’s historic campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021, and he built on this success to find plenty of success in the shorter formats last year. From his captaincy in Namibia’s upset over Sri Lanka in their opening T20WC 2022 fixture, to his match-winning unbeaten 121 against Oman to claim a vital Cricket World Cup League 2 victory, his 2022 was littered with success. Individually, he ended the year as the leading ODI run scorer around the globe, with 956 runs at an impressive 56.23 average.
Speaking on his accolade, Erasmus commented, “It is a great honour to win the award as ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year amongst a growing group of coveted cricketers. Associate cricket continues to push the level of cricket closer to that of higher ranked teams.
“The standard has never been higher, and I’m therefore delighted to have won this award with my on-field performances. A huge credit also to our management and my teammates.”
Claiming the Women’s Associate award following a superb 2022, UAE’s batting all-rounder Oza scored 675 runs in T20Is during 2022, including two big centuries. Her accomplishments at the crease meant the 24-year-old was the second-highest run scorer in the format for the year in women’s internationals. Not limited to just her batting achievements, Oza also took 15 wickets through the year at 15.40, highlighting her prowess at both disciplines of the international game.
Oza reacted to her award win by saying, “I feel deeply honoured to receive the ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year 2022 award. I was delightfully awestruck and couldn’t believe my ears.
“2022 was a great year for me as a player as well as for us as a team. It feels great to be rewarded for all the hard work and this award also acknowledges the immense motivation and guidance received from family, teammates, coaches and Emirates Cricket. I will cherish this moment forever and I would like to thank each and every one who made this possible. I will keep giving my best to the game.”
Further Individual Award Announcements:
Announcements will conclude on Thursday 26 January where the Umpire of the Year, the ODI Cricketers of the Year and the Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year will be revealed on ICC digital channels before the winners of the prized Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for Women’s Cricketer of the Year and the Sir Garfield Trophy for Men’s Cricketer of the Year are named. The final announcement will celebrate the winning entry for the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award.
