Fawad Alam (Pakistan)

At the age of 36, Fawad Alam has finally established himself as a cornerstone of the Pakistan batting lineup in Test cricket after years of toling on the domestic circuit. He was at his sturdy best in 2021, scoring 571 runs in 9 matches at an average of 57.10 with three centuries. His tons came in tough situations against South Africa, Zimbabwe and West Indies.

Rishabh Pant (wk) (India)

Rishabh Pant further established himself as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in all the three formats, with his continuous development especially coming to the fore in the Test arena. He scored 748 runs in 12 matches at an average of 39.36 with one memorable ton against England at Ahmedabad. He also accounted for 39 dismissals in 23 innings, with his glovework continuing to improve.

Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

The off-spinner bamboozled many batters with his sheer wizardry. Ashwin scalped up 54 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 16.64 making a big impact in the home series against England and New Zealand. He also chipped in with 355 runs at an average of 25.35, which included a vital century against England in Chennai.

Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand)

Jamieson emerged as a brilliant bowling option in 2021 for the Kiwis, perfectly complementing the trio of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner. Extracting great pace and bounce off the surface, he picked up 27 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 17.51. He also scored 105 runs at 17.50 and was adjudged the Player of the Match in the ICC World Test Championship final against India in Southampton.

Hasan Ali (Pakistan)

Hasan Ali always delivered with the ball for Pakistan in 2021, be it as a strike bowler or when it came to holding one end up. By far his best year in the longest format, Ali scalped up 41 wickets in 9 matches at a sensational average of 16.07. He also picked up one five-wicket haul and registered best bowling figures in a match of 10/114. Forming a formidable duo with Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan will hope he carries on his form in 2022 with some tough assignments awaiting them.

Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

It was a year for remember for Shaheen Afridi, especially in the longest form of the game. Extracting brilliant movement with the new ball and reversing it with the old, Afridi picked up 47 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 17.06, including three five-wicket hauls. Still only 21, Shaheen will likely lead the Pakistan pace bowling unit for years to come and with already rapid improvements in his bowling, he will undoubtedly prove to be a fearsome prospect.