Last update: December 30, 2022, 4:40 PM IST
The 2022 ODI squad has three Indians in Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Siraj.
Meanwhile, we’ve picked the ODI eleven of the year that sees as many as three Indians. This is in stark contrast to the Test team that had only Rishabh Pant.
It was the year of turmoil as far as ODI cricket is concerned. With the advent of T20 cricket and the nostalgia of Test match cricket reaching an all-time high, 50-over cricket took a huge hit when players suddenly opted to quit altogether. Ben Stokes was a prime example who had opted out of the ODI circuit as he had to look after his interests in the shorter format. Additionally, he was also named England’s Test captain. Overall, in a T20 world cup year, ODI cricket took second place; however, it still held sway with fans flocking to the stadium to enjoy the excitement of the white ball.
Meanwhile, we’ve picked the ODI eleven of the year that sees as many as three Indians. This is in stark contrast to the Test team that had only Rishabh Pant. Here is News 18 Cricketnext’s ODI eleven.
Test Team of the Year: Ashes rivals dominate, lone Indian in Rishabh Pant; Ben Stokes Skipper
Opener
Babar Azam (captain): With 679 runs in just 9 innings, Babar was always going to be our top pick for the opening spot. His average is an astonishing 84 and his strike rate is close to 91. He has accounted for three centuries throughout the year: 114 and 105* against Australia in Lahore and 103 against the West Indies in Multan. Apart from his batting skills, he becomes an obvious choice for the leadership role as his excellent results ensured that India’s ODI captain Shikhar Dhawan was not considered in the first place.
Shubman Gill: Young Gill has played some outstanding cricket to win over his many fans. Playing his first ODI in the West Indies in July, he hit a strong 64 and then continued his good form throughout the season, scoring 638 runs in 12 ODIs at an average of 70.88 and a strike rate of of 102.57. Gill scored 98* against West Indies in Port of Spain and 82* and 130 against Zimbabwe soon after.
Middle order
Shai Hope (Gateway Rotarian): Shai Hope is probably one of the most underrated modern day strikers in the world. His excellent technique ensures that he plays under the ‘v’. Throughout 2022, his above average form continued as he accounted for 709 runs in 21 matches at an average of 36 and a decent strike rate of 75. He went on to score three centuries which came against Netherlands, Pakistan and India .
Shreyas Iyer: Iyer, who was consistently overlooked for the T20Is, made sure to make the most of his role as the ODI specialist, hitting 724 runs at an average of 55.69 and a strike rate of 91.52 in 17 matches. His century against South Africa was a match-winning knock as he saw his side to an unbeaten 113 in Ranchi.
Tom Latham: With 558 runs in just 15 matches, Latham played his role at the center for New Zealand to perfection. His strike rate was 83 but his batting average was close to 53 which came with two centuries – 140 against Netherlands and 145 * against India. At 5, he is quite well equipped to play in the middle, especially beating any spin attack in the world.
Versatile
Sikandar Raza and Mehidy Hasan: Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz occupy two all-rounders. Raza was outstanding with the bat, scoring 645 runs in 15 matches at an average of 49.61 and a strike rate of 87.16. He scored three tons in the year – two against Bangladesh and one against India. Meanwhile, Miraz claimed 24 scalps in 15 ODIs at an average of 28.20 and an excellent economy rate of 5.44. Moreover, he played a key role in Bangladesh’s ODI series win over them.
Tail ends
Akeal Hossein: Hossein is perhaps a new breed of wrist spinner who can bowl as flat as possible. Strikers usually find it extremely difficult to get under the ball and launch it for a six. The Trinidad and Tobago cricketer is an effective white ball changer and his 2022 stats are a testament to this fact where he accounted for 30 wickets in 20 ODIs with an excellent strike rate of 21.
Alzarri Joseph: Hosein’s compatriot Joseph took 27 wickets in 17 matches. He was consistently among the wickets especially against quality opposition like New Zealand, India and Pakistan. He takes a wicket every 33 balls.
Muhammed Siraj: Siraj put up a terrific innings against the West Indies in the latter stages of the first ODI in July. Despite a below-average IPL, Siraj again proved that he is quite capable of absorbing the pressure of white-ball cricket and delivering effectively. He accounted for 24 wickets in 15 ODIs at a remarkable strike rate of wickets per 30 balls.
Trent Boult: Boult presents a serious challenge with the new ball and is forced to share it with Mohammed Siraj or Alzarri Joseph in the side. Usually he picks wickets every 30 balls, but this year saw a huge increase as he picked a wicket every 18 balls, which shows the kind of form the Kiwi was in. He picked 18 wickets in just 6 matches with an impressive economy of 4. .
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