Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has been honoured with the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year for his outstanding achievements in the 50-over format. Omarzai showcased remarkable achievements with both the bat and ball throughout the year.
The ICC awards the best cricketers for each format of cricket every year. In 2024, ODI cricket took a backseat as member nations were more inclined towards the T20I format as the T20 World Cup was taking place. The ICC has decided to select the best players from all the ODIs held throughout the year and honour them.
Also, Read about ICC T20 Cricketer of the year 2024
Afghanistan’s Rising Star Claims Major ICC Award
Afghanistan player Azmatullah Omarzai has been selected by the ICC for the ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024 award. 24-year-old Azamtullah Omarzai is the first player from Afghanistan to receive this honour.
Omarzai played a total of 14 ODIs this year. He scored 417 runs at an average of 52.12 during this period. In this total score, he scored one century and 3 half-centuries. In bowling too, he took 17 wickets at an average of 20.47. His best performance (4/18) was against Zimbabwe.
He played an important role against Zimbabwe. The team won due to his brilliant innings of 149 runs against Sri Lanka. Apart from this, he turned the innings around by scoring an aggressive 86 runs in 50 balls against South Africa. He also scored his first ODI century and 3 other half-centuries against Sri Lanka.
Omarzai will soon be awarded a silver medal, and this will be an important moment in Afghanistan’s cricket history.
Azmatullah Omarzai’s ODI Stats in 2024:
| Matches | Runs | Wickets | Batting Average | Strike Rate | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 417 | 17 | 52.12 | 105.56 | 1/3 |
