On Monday, the International Cricket Board (ICC) announced the awards of the decade, with the Indian cricket players bagging 3 awards and featuring in teams of the decade across formats but Pakistani cricket team getting
Indian captain Virat Kohli, who scored 94 fifties, 66 centuries and a whopping 20,396 international runs during the decade, was awarded the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade. Kohli also scored 10,000+ runs in the ODI format at an average of 61.83 during the same period. He has also 39 centuries, and 48 fifties to his name. As such, he was awarded the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade.
The incredible Virat Kohli wins the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade 🙌
— ICC (@ICC) December 28, 2020
🏏 Most runs in the #ICCAwards period: 20,396
💯 Most hundreds: 66
🙌 Most fifties: 94
🅰️ Highest average among players with 70+ innings: 56.97
🏆 2011 @cricketworldcup champion pic.twitter.com/lw0wTNlzGi
🇮🇳 VIRAT KOHLI is the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade 👏👏
— ICC (@ICC) December 28, 2020
🔝 Only player with 10,000-plus ODI runs in the #ICCAwards period
💯 39 centuries, 48 fifties
🅰️ 61.83 average
✊ 112 catches
A run machine 💥🙌 pic.twitter.com/0l0cDy4TYz
At the same time, former Indian captain MS Dhoni was awarded the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade for his sportsmanship when he recalled English batsman Ian Bell back to the pitch, after he was given a run out in the Nottingham Test of 2011.
🇮🇳 MS DHONI wins the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade 👏👏
— ICC (@ICC) December 28, 2020
The former India captain was chosen by fans unanimously for his gesture of calling back England batsman Ian Bell after a bizarre run out in the Nottingham Test in 2011.#ICCAwards | #SpiritOfCricket pic.twitter.com/3eCpyyBXwu
Pakistanis cry foul over ICC award winners
While India has bagged 3 awards, Pakistan cricket team had no luck working its favour. At the same, not a single Pakistani player featured in any of the ICC teams of the decade, be it for tests, T20s or ODIs. As such, many started questioning the integrity of the International cricket council instead of introspecting about their poor performance across formats.
One user wrote, “ICC is now Indian cricket council” while insinuating an ‘unseen’ BCCI hand in determining the results.
ICC is now indian cricket council🖐🏻
— فیصل لودھی🇵🇰 (@L_Corrupt) December 28, 2020
Another Pakistani lamented, “International Cricket Council is just a joke nothing more.”
International Cricket Council is just a joke nothing more.#ICCAwards #ICCAwards2020 #ICC #NZvPAK #AUSvIND #COVIDー19 #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/yO5wuc4TvT
— Rameez Hamza 🇵🇰🇦🇪 (@iamramizxrami) December 28, 2020
Another Pakistani, Kashaf Fatimah, claimed that Pakistan and New Zealand are like adopted kids of ICC, who are routinely ignored. “Believe me or not but Pakistan or New Zealand are adopted kids of ICC and this is fact no new Zealander no Paki player In odi or t20 team great ICC great,” she tweeted.
Believe me or not but Pakistan or New Zealand are adopted kids of ICC and this is fact no new Zealander no Paki player In odi or t20 team great ICC great 🥂#ICCAwards #NZvPAK #ICCTeamOfDecade
— Kashaf Fatimah (@ikfatimahh) December 28, 2020
A supposed fan of Pakistani cricketer Babar Azam cried over the supposed ‘injustice’ meted out to the player. “Injustice of ICC with Pakistan.
Why babar Azam is not nominated for ICC decade awards 2020?Why they do injustice with Pakistan,” he wrote.
Injustice of ICC with Pakistan.
— Babar Azam mr perfectionist (@BabarAz15252224) December 28, 2020
Why babar Azam is not nominated for ICC decade awards 2020?Why they do injustice with Pakistan.#injusticewithpakistan pic.twitter.com/UY77f1Fmqd
After being snubbed by the ICC, Pakistan Cricket Board has now announced its own awards for 2020. Twitter user Mohan Raswant mocked the frustration of the PCB and said, “ICC ignored Pakistan players, so they created their our own awards….”
ICC ignored Pakistan players, so they created their our own awards….👏😭 https://t.co/hpXRRmZmPa
— Mohan Raswant (@mohanraswant22) December 28, 2020
It is important to mention that while Virat Kohli has been named the captain for the ICC Test team of the decade, MS Dhoni has been chosen the skipper for the T20 and ODI teams. At the same time, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin and Rohit Sharma also feature in these teams.
