The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the categories and candidates for the annual 'PCB Awards 2021.' As the Pakistani players gave stellar performances in 2021, the board has announced the nominees for several award categories, with pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi dominating five of them.
The statement was made on social media platforms by PCB to celebrate and appreciate the accomplishments of players and match officials during the previous year.
Players to look out for
Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been nominated for five categories. An impartial 10-member panel nominated the 21-year-old left-arm fast bowler for Impactful Performance of the Year, T20I Cricketer of the Year, ODI Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year, and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year.
Shaheen had a fantastic 2021 season in all formats. He took 47 wickets in nine Tests, eight wickets in six ODIs, and 23 wickets in 21 T20Is. His three for 31 against India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 has placed him in the running for the Impactful Performance of the Year award, one of four.
Mohammad Rizwan and Hasan Ali, both fast bowlers, had a year filled with achievements, which is reflected in their nominations.
Rizwan has been nominated for Impactful Performance of the Year, T20I Cricketer of the Year, and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year. Meanwhile, Ali is up for the Impactful Performance of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year, and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year.
Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, and Haris Rauf have all been nominated in two categories.
Babar, who won the Most Valuable Cricketer award in 2020, has been nominated again in this category, and another one for ODI Cricketer of the Year.
Fawad Alam is also nominated for the Impactful Performance of the Year for the second time, and for Test Cricketer of the Year for the second time. Haris Rauf has been named a finalist for T20I and ODI Cricketer of the Year.
Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, and Shahnawaz Dahani have been nominated for the Emerging Cricketer of the Year award. Players born on or after August 1, 1998, or who made their international debuts in this calendar year, or who have played in at least 15 matches in Cricket Association events and the HBL PSL in this calendar year, are eligible.
Once nominated in this category, a player cannot be re-nominated. This means that, despite their outstanding performances, Haider Ali and Mohammad Huraira were not considered because they were already shortlisted last year.
Nonetheless, Huraira has been shortlisted alongside Asif Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan, and Tayyab Tahir for the Domestic Cricketer of the Year award, while Aliya Riaz, who won the award last year, has been shortlisted together with Anam Amin, Fatima, and Nida Dar for the Women's Cricketer of the Year award.
The nominees were chosen by an independent 10-member panel consisting of former international cricketers, broadcasters, and renowned members of the media.
The winners are set to be unveiled in a virtual digital show that will be live-streamed on the PCB YouTube and Facebook channels on Thursday (January 2, 2022).
