Shahzad wins ICC affiliate cricketer of the year award

KABUL’s flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad has been named as the ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year after he finished leading ODI run-scorer with 699 runs in 16 one-day matches.

The ICC in a statement said Shahzad also scored 301 runs in four innings of three ICC Intercontinental Cup first-class matches and also contributed 533 runs in 17 T20Is.

He becomes the first Afghanistan player to win the award which serves to recognise and reward the efforts in all international matches of outstanding cricketers from teams outside the 10 Test nations.

The player awards were judged by a voting academy, which was entirely independent of the ICC and in which members of the media from all the 10 Test playing countries were eligible

Ravichandran Ashwin became the only third Indian player to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after being named the ICC Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year.The off-spinner thus became the 12th overall to win the prestigious Trophy.

Afghanistan cricket board chairman Atif Mashal expressed his happiness over Shahzad’s selection as the affiliate cricketer of the year and congratulated the national team and all Afghans over the success.

pr/ma