Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf have earned spots in the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year, announced on Friday. Ayub’s selection comes after a stellar “breakout season,” following his ODI debut in November against Australia, where he amassed 125 runs from three matches. Notably, he scored centuries in three of his last five innings, including two during a series in South Africa, averaging 78.3 in December.
In just nine ODI appearances, Ayub has totaled 515 runs, with an impressive average of 64.37 and a strike rate of 105.53, including three centuries and one fifty. Despite a recent ankle injury ruling him out for six weeks, Ayub is expected to recover with rehab in London.
Afridi made a significant impact, taking 15 wickets in six ODIs with an exceptional bowling average of 17.6 and a best of 4/47, showcasing his elite strike rate. Meanwhile, Rauf finished 2024 strong, taking 13 wickets in eight ODIs, averaging 22.4, with a best of 5/29. Rauf’s stellar performance earned him the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for November, surpassing Jasprit Bumrah and Marco Jansen.
The ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year also features three Afghan players, four from Sri Lanka, and one from the West Indies, with no Indian players included.
ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year for 2024:
- Saim Ayub (Pakistan)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan)
- Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)
- Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka)
- Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka)
- Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies)
- Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan)
- Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
- Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
- Haris Rauf (Pakistan)
- AM Ghazanfar (Afghanistan)