The International Cricket Council announced the teams of the year in the men’s and women’s category for the shortest format of the game the T20Is. While Pakistan’s Babar Azam has been made the T20I skipper, England’s Nat Sciver will lead the Women’s team.
Among the players selected in the playing xi, the men’s side has got three each from Pakistan and South Africa while two players have been chosen from the world champion side Australia.
One player each from England, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also made it to the xi. Surprisingly, there was no place for any player from T20 World Cup 2021 runner’s up New Zealand and one of the most followed sides, India.
Jos Buttler (England), Mohammad Rizwan (wk) (Pakistan), Babar Azam (c) (Pakistan), Aiden Markram (South Africa), Mitchell Marsh (Australia), David Miller (South Africa), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa), Josh Hazlewood (Australia), Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
As for the ICC Women’s T20I team of the year, it had a whole large chunk being dominated by England along with the captain of the side. Nat Sciver, the English Women’s team skipper has been chosen as the captain of the ICC Women’s t20i team as well.
Among other members, India is represented only by Smriti Mandhana who had a great year in 2021. Tammy Beaumont, Danni Wyatt, Sophie Ecclestone and Amy Jones are the other English players apart from Sciver on the list.
The team with the second-most players in the playing XI is South Africa, which has Marizanne Kapp, Laura Wolvaardt and Shabnim Ismail on the list. Thus in a list dominated by English and South African players, it was surprising to see Ireland’s Gaby Lewis and Zimbabwe’s Loryn Phiri being picked up as specialist batters and bowlers respectively.
Smriti Mandhana (India), Tammy Beaumont (England), Danni Wyatt (England), Gaby Lewis (Ireland), Nat Sciver (c) (England), Amy Jones (wk) (England), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Sophie Ecclestone (England), Loryn Phiri (Zimbabwe), Shabnim Ismail (South Africa)