NEWS
Follow UsNo Indian men's team players were named in the ICC's men's ODI team of the year on Thursday while veteran duo Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami were named in the women's ODI of the year for their consistent performances in the tours of England and Australia in 2021.
Raj, who will be leading India in the 2022 ODI World Cup in New Zealand, was the consistent performer with the bat in the 2021 home series against South Africa and overseas tours of the England and Australia. In the three series, Raj amassed totals of 210 (4 innings vs SA), 206 (3 innings vs Eng) and 87 (3 innings vs Aus), which include six fifties.
Goswami, 39, shouldered the Indian pace attack as he claimed 15 wickets in 2021 from 10 ODIs at a superb economy of 3.77. England skipper Heather Knight was named captain of the side which featured her teammate Tammy Beaumont alongside Australia's Alyssa Healy, South African duo Lizelle Lee and Shabnim Ismail and Pakistan's Fatima Sana.
West Indies allrounder Hayley Matthews and pacer Anisa Mohammed were also named in the team of the year.
ICC Women's Team of the Year: Lizelle Lee (South Africa), Alyssa Healy (Australia), Tammy Beaumont (England), Mithali Raj (India), Heather Knight (c, England), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), Fatima Sana (Pakistan), Jhulan Goswami (India), and Anisa Mohammed (West Indies).
India men's team, which played just six ODIs in the entirety of 2021, did not find representation in the ICC ODI Team of the Year led by Pakistan captain Babar Azam.
The lesser focus on ODI cricket among top teams in build up to the T20 World Cup, saw no players from Australia, England, New Zealand or West Indies in the team.
South African pair Janneman Malan and Rassie van der Dussen, Bangladesh veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib al Hasan and Sri Lanka's star duo Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga were picked.
Ireland's Paul Stirling, who led the run-scoring charts in the 50-over format with 705 runs from 14 ODIs at an average of 79.66 was picked for the opener's slot.
Among Indians, only Bhuvneshwar Kumar played five ODIs with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul playing only three matches in 2021.
ICC Men's Team of the Year: Paul Stirling, Janneman Malan, Babar Azam (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Simi Singh, Dushmantha Chameera