The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the T20I Team of the Year for 2023, but regrettably, no Pakistani players secured a spot on the list.
The ICC Team of the Year acknowledges 11 outstanding players who demonstrated exceptional performance in 2023, excelling in either batting, bowling, or all-round contributions.
The team is predominantly comprised of Indian players, with Suryakumar Yadav named as the captain. His compatriots, Yashasvi Jaiswal, along with bowlers Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh, also earned spots in the ICC Men’s T20I team for 2023.
ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Phil Salt
- Nicholas Pooran
- Suryakumar Yadav (c)
- Mark Chapman
- Sikandar Raza
- Alpesh Ramjani
- Mark Adair
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Richard Ngarava
- Arshdeep Singh
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Yashasvi Jaiswal and England’s Phil Salt open for the team. Jaiswal made his debut for India in August against West Indies, amassing 430 runs in 2023 at a strike rate of 159. Meanwhile, Salt outperformed others by scoring 331 runs in a five-match T20I series against the West Indies.
Nicholas Pooran from West Indies claimed the No. 3 spot. Suryakumar scored two centuries in T20Is and captained the Indian team in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who was on a break after the ODI World Cup, securing the No. 4 spot.
New Zealand’s Mark Chapman secured the No. 5 position, and Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza occupied No. 6. Uganda’s Alpesh Ramjani and Ireland’s Mark Adair are at 7 and 8.
Ramjani topped the T20I wickets chart with 55 wickets at an economy of 4.77 in 30 matches. Adair, the Ireland bowling all-rounder, took 26 wickets at an economy of 7.42, getting a wicket every 13 deliveries.
India’s Ravi Bishnoi, Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava, and India’s Arshdeep Singh constitute the rest of the bowling attack. Arshdeep took 26 wickets in 21 appearances.
Bishnoi claimed 18 wickets in 44 overs, and Ngarava concluded the year with 26 wickets in 15 matches, conceding only 5.63 runs per over and taking a wicket every 12.1 deliveries. Bishnoi also attained the No. 1 position on the ICC T20 Bowling Rankings due to his “exceptional” performances.
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Why There Were no Pakistani Players?
The absence of Pakistani players from the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year for 2023 has ignited discussions and disappointment among fans and analysts. Despite noteworthy individual performances by several Pakistani players in 2023, various factors likely contributed to their exclusion:
- Competition: The year 2023 witnessed exceptional performances in T20 cricket, particularly from players representing India, England, and Australia. Standout years from players like Suryakumar Yadav (India), Sam Curran (England), and Mitchell Starc (Australia) made it exceedingly challenging for other players to secure spots in the XI.
- Team Performance: While individual Pakistani players showcased brilliance, the team’s overall performance in major tournaments such as the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup lacked the consistency seen in some of the other top teams. This collective shortfall in success might have influenced the selection process.
- Specific Role-based Omissions: Despite strong performers in batting and bowling, Pakistan lacked standout players in specific roles like wicket-keeping or all-rounder, positions crucial for maintaining team balance in T20 cricket.
It’s crucial to note that the ICC selection committee takes various factors into account when crafting the Team of the Year, encompassing individual statistics, impact on matches, and overall team performance. While the omission of Pakistani players may be disheartening, it mirrors the intense competition and elevated standards inherent in international T20 cricket.
Additional considerations:
- Some argue that the selection process might exhibit bias towards certain teams or players, emphasizing the need for a more merit-centric approach.
- The ICC has acknowledged the necessity for increased transparency in the selection process and has pledged to implement changes in the future.
- Pakistani fans maintain optimism regarding their team’s future prospects, believing that they can soon contend for top honors in T20 cricket.