ICC names ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024
The International Cricket Council on Monday (27th January) announced the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024. Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has been awarded for his performances with the bat and ball throughout the year.
Azmatullah Omarzai was one of the major reasons behind the success of Afghanistan in the ODIs last year. The all-rounder helped his team win four out of the five series that they played. He was right on the money with bat and ball in the 14 games that he played.
Azmatullah Omarzai ended 2024 as Afghanistan's second-leading run-getter behind Rahmanullah Gurbaz and also was the second-highest wicket-taker for the team behind Allah Ghazanfar. In the 14 matches that he played, he slammed 417 runs at an average of 52.12 and picked 17 wickets at 20.47 in the 14 games that he played.
Azmatullah Omarzai made an impact in ODIs in 2024 right from the first match that he played. He slammed a sensational hundred against Sri Lanka but his efforts went in vain as Afghanistan lost the series. However, in the next four series, he was the game-changer for his team.
Azmatullah Omarzai shined with the bat and ball in 2024
Azmatullah Omarzai shined with the bat and ball and helped the team win against Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He bailed his team out of trouble many times and chipped in for his side with both bat and ball, making his golden run memorable.
His best performance came during the last ODI against Bangladesh in November. He delivered a match-winning performance, where he returned with the figures of 4/37 from seven overs and then played an inning of 70* from 77 balls that helped his team win.
Azmatullah Omarzai will be key for his team in 2025 as well. The major assignment for Afghanistan will be the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This will be his team's first-ever assignment in the Champions Trophy, and they would want to make it a memorable one.
