Pakistan dominated the ICC awards for the second straight year as captain Babar Azam was named the ICC men's cricketer of the year for 2022.
The star batsman had a stellar campaign in all three formats, becoming the only player to breach the 2000-run mark.
In all, he amassed 2,598 runs at an average of 54.12 with eight hundreds and 17 fifties in all three formats. His crowning moment on the field was taking Pakistan all the way to the final of the T20 World Cup in Australia where they put up a valiant fight before losing to Jos Buttler's England in Melbourne.
Last year, Pakistan pace ace Shaheen Afridi was named the cricketer of the year, underlining the country's strength in all formats.
Meanwhile, England Test captain Ben Stokes has been rewarded for the dramatic turnaround in his team's fortunes by being named as Test player of 2022.
Stokes' record as an all-rounder last year was impressive, scoring 870 runs and taking 26 wickets from 15 matches.
However, it was his leadership qualities that really shone through, as he helped transform the team's form, fortunes and style.
Under the 31-year-old's leadership, England won nine out of 10 Tests. It included series victories over New Zealand and South Africa at home, a win over India in the one-off postponed Test to level the series at 2-2 – England chased down 378 in the fourth innings to seal victory – and a historic 3-0 series win in Pakistan.
The team had come a long way from their previous record of just one win in 17 Tests.
Stokes had earlier been named captain of the ICC Test team of the year.
Like Stokes, Pakistan captain Babar was recognised for his exploits in white-ball cricket as he was named ODI player of the year. He scored 679 runs from nine matches at an average of 84 in 2022, including three centuries and five half-centuries, clinching the top ICC award in ODI cricket for the second year in a row.
The T20 player of the year award went to India's Suryakumar Yadav, who had a scarcely believable year. He broke numerous records, scoring 1,164 runs in 31 matches at an average of 46.56 and an incredible strike-rate of 187.43.
Yadav hit a record 68 sixes during the year, and scored two tons and nine half-centuries.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
match info
Maratha Arabians 138-2
C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15
Team Abu Dhabi 114-3
L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17
Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
