Babar, Stokes, Sciver bag ICC Cricketers of the Year 2022 awards

It was double delight for Pakistan skipper Babar Azam as he was picked for both the ‘ODI Cricketer of the Year’ and the ‘Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of 2022’ on Thursday.
A year after he won the ‘ODI Cricketer of the Year’ in 2021, the charismatic batter continued to dominate world cricket and was the only player to breach the 2000-run mark in 2022 across all formats. Babar went past that milestone in style, amassing 2,598 runs at an imposing average of 54.12.
The Pakistani cricketer’s eight hundreds and 17 fifties during the calendar year was the best of his career so far. The 2021 ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year continued to rule in the 50-over format, scoring 679 runs in nine matches and it was no surprise to see the 28-year-old win the title for the second successive year.
Stokes, Men’s Test Cricketer of Year: Talismanic England skipper and allrounder Ben Stokes, who redefined Test cricket in 2022, was adjudged the best in the longer format.
Since taking over as England captain, Stokes has led the team to nine wins from 10 Tests, completing series victories over New Zealand and South Africa at home, beating India in the one-off postponed Test to level the series at 2-2, and hammering Pakistan 3-0 away from home — England’s best ever margin of victory in the country.
Sciver reigns supreme in women’s cricket: England skipper and star allrounder Nat Sciver also made it a double. She was declared winner of the ‘Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year’ as well as the ‘Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year’.
Sciver hit 1,346 runs and took 22 wickets in 33 matches in the year, captaining England for much of her side’s home summer.
She was exceptional in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, finishing as the tournament’s third-highest scorer and playing a huge part in England’s qualification for the final.
In ODIs, she scored 833 runs and took 11 wickets from 17 matches.
Illingworth, best umpire: Englishman Richard Illingworth was adjudged ‘ICC Umpire of Year’ for a second time. In 2019 too he was adjudged the ‘Best Umpire’.