ICC MEN'S ODI TEAM OF THE YEAR | ICC ODI Team of The Year 2024 Announced
Every year ICC just released the Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2024, and none of the major names comes from India, Australia, South Africa, or England have any players in it. Instead, the team's of the men's odi was filled with four players from Sri Lanka, three from Pakistan, and a couple from Afghanistan which is of major importance because it shows how these countries are stepping up their cricket game in the Modern Cricket.
Pakistan's Saim Ayub and Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Afghanistan are the openers. Ayub has scored an impressive 515 runs in just nine matches, and Gurbaz isn't far behind with 531 runs. Additionally, there is Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka taking the No. 3 spot with his amazing 694 runs in 12 matches, followed by Sri Lanka's captain, Charith Asalanka, and Kusal Mendis, who both have impressive scores too.
India played only three ODI matches in 2024 as it was a T20 World Cup year, resulting in their stars not finding a place in the best 50-over team of last year. In their only outing in ODIs, India suffered a 0-2 loss in Sri Lanka, whose players feature the most in ICC's list.
Not only India, even players from Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa and Bangladesh did not find a place in ICC's ODI Team of the Year due to fewer number of matches in the format during the last year.
Four Sri Lankan players, who made the cut having played the most number of 50-over games last year, are opening batter Pathum Nissanka, wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis, skipper Charith Asalanka, and all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga.
Asalanka, who led Sri Lanka to a historic series win over India in August 2024, has been named as captain of the ICC ODI team of the year 2024, that also includes one player from the West Indies in the form of all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford.
Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf represented the Pakistani team in the team of the year, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Allah Ghazanfar are the players from Afghanistan to make the final cut.
Shaheen and Haris Rauf will be the two specialist pacers, while Ghazanfar, who had an incredible year in the format, is the lone specialist spinner in the ICC Team of 2024. Here is the full ODI team for the year:
ICC ODI Team of the Year 2024
- Saim Ayub (Pakistan) - 513 runs in 9 matches
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan) - 531 runs in 11 matches
- Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) - 694 runs in 12 matches
- Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka) - 742 runs in 17 matches
- Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka) - 605 runs in 16 matches
- Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies) - 425 runs in 9 matches
- Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan) - 417 runs & 17 wickets in 12 matches
- Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) - 26 wickets in 10 matches
- Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan) - 15 wickets in 6 matches
- Haris Rauf (Pakistan) - 13 wickets in 8 matches
- Allah Ghazanfar (Afghanistan) - 21 wickets in 11 matches
