PCB Awards 2021: Rizwan bags Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award

After a stellar 2021, Pakistan’s Test vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan has been adjudged as the Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Awards.

Rizwan had a golden run in 2021, in which he scored 455 Test, 134 ODI and 1,326 T20I runs, besides accounting for 56 batsmen behind the wickets across all formats.

To win this category, the 29-year-old competed with the likes of Babar Azam, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Rizwan was also unanimously selected by an independent panel as the T20I Cricketer of the Year.

Commenting on his achievements, the right-handed batter said he was “humbled and honoured” to have been adjudged Pakistan’s Most Valuable Cricketer of 2021.

“This is the PCB’s most prestigious award and to be recognised for my contributions in the team’s superlative performances across all formats in 2021 in such a way gives me tremendous satisfaction and happiness.

“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.”

Shaheen Afridi shortlisted in five categories of PCB Awards 2021

Besides Rizwan, Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam bagged the ODI Cricketer of the Year award for his 405 runs in six ODIs with two centuries and a half-century.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Hasan Ali won the Test Cricketer of the Year for his 41 wickets in nine matches.

Shaheen Shah Afridi’s three for 31 against India on 24 October in Dubai in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 won him the Impactful Performance of the Year award.

His magical bowling spell helped Pakistan restrict India to a moderate total, which was easily chased by Pakistan openers to hand India a ten-wicket defeat.

Babar Azam nominated for ICC Men's Player of the Year award

Mohammad Wasim Jr bagged the Emerging Cricketer of the Year for his 45 wickets in 2021, while Nida Dar was named as the Women’s Cricketer of the Year after aggregating 604 runs and taking 25 wickets.

Sahibzada Farhan won the Domestic Cricketer of the Year following his 487 runs in the Pakistan Cup, 447 runs in the National T20 and 935 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

For the second successive year, PCB’s elite match officials voted Asif Yaqoob as the Umpire of the Year.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja congratulated all the winners on behalf of the cricket board. “They deserve all the applause and accolades for their tremendous consistency across all formats in difficult times that inspired their sides to outstanding performances throughout 2021, which have been widely acknowledged by the Pakistan cricket fans,” he said.