The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the finalists for the Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year award on Wednesday. South Africa's Marco Jansen, India's Arshdeep Singh, New Zealand batsman Finn Allen, and Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran are among the finalists for the prize.
It's commendable how quickly Arshdeep Singh adapted to international cricket, becoming a vital component of India's white-ball bowling attack.
Building on a good IPL career, India's national setup quickly took on the left-arm fast, and he made the most of the chance as the squad looks to regroup from a poor 2021 T20 World Cup performance. The fast bowler represented India in 21 T20Is, capturing 33 wickets at an economy rate of 8.17 and provided tight competition in Powerplay and death-over scenarios.
During India's recent tour to New Zealand, Arshdeep was also awarded an ODI cap, and the 23-year-old looks to be destined to lead India's cricket ahead.
The Indian youngster stood tall on the big platform, undaunted by the pressure of an India vs Pakistan encounter in front of nearly 90,000 people in a worldwide event.
Arshdeep removed both members of Pakistan's prolific opening pair with a prodigious swing at pace. He dismissed Babar Azam with his first ball lbw before dismissing Mohammad Rizwan at the end of his next over.
On the other hand, just when we thought South Africa's bowling assault couldn't get much better, along comes 206cm left-arm quick Marco Jansen, who makes his own mark. Jansen caused problems for opponents wherever he went in 2022, following a solid Test debut on home soil on Boxing Day 2021.
Jansen's success on tour in England and Australia was replicated in South Africa, when he took 14 Test wickets at an average of under 13.50. In New Zealand, he took nine Test wickets at a respectable 28.55, and he also batted for Dean Elgar's side.
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Afghanistan made great progress in the One Day International game, owing in large part to Ibrahim Zadran's efforts, who made a number of important contributions while also displaying his mettle on the field.
The country earned automatic qualification for the World Cup with the help of Zadran's 431 runs in seven One-Day Internationals (ODIs), including three Super League centuries.
Zadran was once again instrumental in T20 cricket. At the T20 World Cup, his 64* from 59 balls against India stands out as his team fell behind in their response, despite his steady runs. He finished with 367 runs at a strike rate of 110 and an average of 36.70, playing an important holding role while more aggressive players advanced around him.
Finn Allen, who had a good 2022 season after making his debut T20I game in 2021, has been found as another gem by the Black Caps.
A century off 56 balls against Scotland enhanced his game in the run-up to the T20 World Cup, when he added another dimension to the Kiwis' top order. Allen made his ODI debut in July, scoring 42 off 24 balls against Australia, virtually ending the reigning champions' campaign before it even began.
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