Sri Lanka leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has made the cut in both ICC Men’s T20I and ODI teams of the year 2021, according to the lists of the squads published by the world governing body for cricket.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka pacer Dushmantha Chameera has been selected to the ICC Men’s ODI team.
Both teams are captained by Pakistan skipper Babar Azam.
It was a breakthrough year for Wanindu Hasaranga, who established himself as one of the best spinners in the shortest format while also being a player who could contribute with the bat.
A consistent performer throughout the year, Hasaranga’s star shone the brightest during the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman, ending the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps.
Overall, Hasaranga picked up 36 wickets in 20 matches at 11.63, while also scoring 196 runs.
Meanwhile, Dushmantha Chameera, impressing one and all with his pace, was on fire in the year 2021.
Playing 14 matches, he scalped 20 wickets at an average of 29.30 with one five-wicket haul. Managing to maintain his fitness, Chameera reaped the rewards in what turned out to be a fruitful year for him.
Notably, no Indian cricketer is featured in both ICC Men’s ODI and T20I teams of the year for 2021.
It is also the first time since the inception of the Men’s ODI Team of the Year honour in 2004 that no Indian cricketers were selected to the eleven.
Incidentally, the ODI Team doesn’t have any representation from 2019’Men’s Cricket World Cup champions England, five-time champions Australia, two-time winners West Indies or two-time runners-up New Zealand.
ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year:
1. Jos Buttler (England)
2. Mohammad Rizwan (wk) (Pakistan)
3. Babar Azam (c) (Pakistan)
4. Aiden Markram (South Africa)
5. Mitchell Marsh (Australia)
6. David Miller (South Africa)
7. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
8. Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa)
9. Josh Hazlewood (Australia)
10. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
11. Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year:
1.Paul Stirling (Ireland)
2. Janneman Malan (South Africa)
3. Babar Azam (c) (Pakistan)
4. Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan)
5. Rassie van der Dussen (South Africa)
6. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
7. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) (Bangladesh)
8. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
9. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
10. Simi Singh (Ireland)
11. Dushmantha Chameera (Sri Lanka)
-with inputs from agencies
