ISLAMABAD: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam continued to win accolades on Thursday when the International Cricket Council (ICC) awarded him the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year 2022, a testament to the batter's sheer dominance in all formats of the game throughout the year. 

Azam, who is currently the number one ranked batter in ODIs, scored a staggering 2,598 runs from 44 matches in 2022 in all three formats. His average, helped by eight centuries and 15 half-centuries, has been 54.12 throughout the year.

Azam continued to dominate in all three formats of the game, becoming the only player to breach the 2,000-run barrier during the calendar year in Tests, ODI and T20I formats. 

As far as ODIs are concerned, the batter scored an imposing 679 runs in nine matches, his performances being so consistent that it helped him register scores of 50 or more in eight of those innings. 

Not only does he continue to hold on to his top spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings, but the 28-year-old was also crowned the ICC Men's ODI Player of the Year for a second consecutive year by the ICC. 

In Tests this year, Azam accumulated 1,184 runs from just nine matches and did the bulk of the heavy lifting for Pakistan in the longer format. The results in most of these matches, however, did not go in Pakistan's favor as the hosts were unable to win even a single Test at home. 

"I cannot explain my happiness [after winning the ICC Player of the Year Award]," Azam said in a video message shared by the PCB. "When you win such awards, you feel honored but the main thing is that Pakistan's name shines and at the end of the day, I play for Pakistan," he added. 

Azam cited his most memorable performance throughout the year against Australia in the Karachi Test match when Pakistan were headed for a certain defeat if it were not for his match-saving innings. In walked Azam when the green shirts were hobbling after a poor start and stayed at the crease for 10 hours, amassing 196 on the scoreboard and saving his team from imminent defeat. 

He also spoke of his century against England in a T20I match last year, citing it as his most memorable performance of the year in white-ball cricket. "The most important thing for me was that I performed in front of the fans on my home soil," he said. 

Najam Sethi, chair of the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) Managing Committee, said Azam's dedication and skill were the main reasons that helped him win the award. 

"Babar Azam made Pakistan proud by winning the most important ICC awards," Sethi added.