Sport
Afghanistan’s Omarzai named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year
He also enjoyed a strong year in T20Is and franchise cricket, but it was in ODIs where he proved most influential.
Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has been named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year following a brilliant performance through 2024.
With his right-arm pace bowling and multifaceted batting game, the 24-year-old helped propel the Afghanistan team to a new level.
He also enjoyed a strong year in T20Is and franchise cricket, but it was in ODIs where he proved most influential.
He finished 2024 as his national team’s second-highest run scorer (behind Rahmanullah Gurbaz) and second-highest wicket taker (behind AM Ghazanfar), with Afghanistan winning four of their five ODI series last year.
Omarzai’s individual excellence wasn’t enough to earn Afghanistan a series win away in Sri Lanka at the start of the year, but he was central to four straight ODI series wins for Afghanistan, as his team won against Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
The Afghanistan all-rounder was a standout performer with bat and ball throughout the year, scoring his runs at an average of 52.12 and bagging his wickets at 20.47.
But his brilliance lay not just in the overall numbers but in his individual performances, starting off in his very first ODI of the year, where he smashed an unbeaten 149 in a remarkable rearguard effort in defeat against Sri Lanka.
His destructive 86* from just 50 deliveries against South Africa was another memorable performance, with his rapid scoring helping set up a crushing win in the second ODI to win the series.
Omarzai repeatedly stood up when Afghanistan needed big contributions, but there are few better examples than with his series-defining performance in the third ODI against Bangladesh in Sharjah in November.
With the series on the line, Azmatullah bowled economically before delivering a death-overs masterclass to deny the Tigers the strong finish they were looking for, cleaning up set batter Mehidy Hasan Miraz among his three late wickets as he finished with figures of 4/37 from seven overs.
Faced with a target of 245 to win the match and series, Afghanistan limped through the first 20 overs, losing three of their top four cheaply, with the score at 84/3 when Azmatullah came to the crease.
But the right-hander won the game and series, building a century partnership with Rahmanullah Gurbaz before accelerating when the opener was dismissed, hitting the winning runs with a massive six to end unbeaten on 70* from 77 balls, sealing the victory with ten deliveries to spare.
The Morocco national futsal team defeated Afghanistan 4–0 in the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
This was Afghanistan’s third match in the tournament. Earlier, the Afghan team defeated Tajikistan and held Iran to a draw, showing strong form before facing Morocco.
Despite the loss, Afghanistan remains a competitive side in the regional futsal championship, demonstrating growing potential in the sport.
The Islamic Solidarity Games features more than 3,000 athletes from 57 Islamic countries competing across 19 sporting disciplines.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) holds the exclusive broadcasting rights in Afghanistan for the Riyadh 2025 Games.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Friday that it will host West Indies for a three-match T20I series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 19 to 22.
The series will begin on January 19, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for January 21 and 22. It is expected to provide both teams with valuable match practice and will play a key role in their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled less than a month after the series.
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said: “Competing against West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalize their lineup and enhance preparations for the upcoming tournament in India and Sri Lanka. We have been closely monitoring the team’s preparation process, and facing a quality West Indies side offers an ideal platform for their buildup.”
CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe added: “This series provides an ideal platform for our preparations. Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, while also giving our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka.”
Series Schedule:
Afghanistan’s national cricket team continued their dominant form in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament on Friday, recording back-to-back victories over Nepal and South Africa.
Against South Africa, Afghanistan posted 148 runs in six overs. Captain Gulbadin Naib starred with 50 runs off just 12 balls, while Karim Janat added 46 from 11 deliveries. South Africa could muster only 99 runs in response, giving Afghanistan a commanding 49-run win.
Earlier on Friday, Afghanistan had defeated Nepal by 17 runs, marking a perfect start to the tournament.
The Hong Kong Sixes features twelve teams, each with six players, competing in a fast-paced, six-over format.
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