Azmatullah Omarzai named ODI cricketer of the year 2024
Azmatullah Omarzai named ODI cricketer of the year 2024
Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has been named ODI cricketer of the year 2024, the International Cricket Council announced at the ICC awards on Monday.
Omarzai was a standout performer across the departments, scoring 417 runs at an average of 52.12 and claiming 17 wickets at an average more than 20.
The 24-year-old was the second-highest run scorer for Aghanistan behind Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored 531 runs. With the ball, his tally was second-best for his national team with AM Ghazanfar leading the chart with 21 scalps.
Omarzai was also part of the ICC ODI team of the year alongside his countrymate Ghazanfar.
He was instrumental in his side’s four straight ODI victories against Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He played a crucial role in all of Afghanistan’s eight wins in 2024.
Chasing a massive target of 382 against Sri Lanka, Omarzai smashed an unbeaten 149 – his highest List-A score -, however, he ran out of partners as Afghanistan lost the match by 42 runs.
