The ICC The nominees for the Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award include Wanindu Hasaranga and Kusal Mendis of Sri Lanka, Azmatullah Omarzai of Afghanistan and Sherfane Rutherford from West India. These players have shown exceptional skills and performances in 2024.
Wanindu Hasaranga, known for his all-round skills, took wickets regularly in ODI cricket in 2024, averaging a wicket every three overs. He started the year strongly with 11 wickets in his first three 50-over games.
Hasaranga’s remarkable 7-19 defeat against Zimbabwe in Colombo was a highlight of his year. He followed this with six wickets against Bangladesh in March and a 3-58 performance against India in August. He continued his impressive form with spells of 2-18 and 4-40 against the West Indies in October.
Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper-batsman, showed remarkable consistency with the bat in 2024, scoring half-centuries against six different opponents. He also celebrated a century against New Zealand.
Mendis’ impressive 143 against New Zealand in Dambulla, followed by a 74 not out in Pallekele, underlined his strong batting performance throughout the year. In 2024, his ODI average was over 50.
Mendis also made a significant contribution behind the stumps, recording 19 dismissals in 2024. Sri Lanka enjoyed a successful year in ODIs, losing only three of their 17 matches.
Azmatullah Omarzai, the Afghan all-rounder, left his mark on games with both the bat and the ball. His unbeaten 149 against Sri Lanka in February was a standout performance, followed by another half-century against the same opponents.
Omarzai played a crucial role in Afghanistan’s historic first win in the ODI series against South Africa. His unbeaten 86 and 1-17 in the second ODI gave Afghanistan an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Omarzai continued his excellent form against Bangladesh, contributing a match-winning 70 not out and 4-37 in the crucial third ODI. He was rightly named player of the game.
West Indies batsman Sherfane Rutherford showcased his aggressive batting style in ODIs throughout 2024. He started the year with three consecutive half-centuries against Sri Lanka, although the West Indies lost the series 1-2.
Rutherford’s 204 runs in the series against Sri Lanka came at a strike rate of 107.36 and he was dismissed only once. He demonstrated his ability to score quickly and efficiently.
Rutherford continued to impress with a strong performance against England in Antigua. He then hit a brilliant 113 off just 80 balls against Bangladesh in St. Kitts in December. He finished the series with scores of 24 and 30, contributing to the West Indies’ 3-0 series win.