For the second year running, Babar Azam has been named the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year.

 The International Cricket Council (ICC) named Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan's cricket team, Men's ODI Player of the Year on Thursday in recognition of his "match-winning performances [and] spell-binding stroke-play."

Azam scored 679 runs in just nine ODIs last year, averaging 84.87, with three hundreds and five half-centuries, according to the ICC.

In addition, he continued to hold the top spot among batters in the ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings, a position he has held since July 2021.

In addition to serving as Pakistan's captain, the skipper was complimented by the ICC for "leading his team with aplomb and to just one loss throughout the year," which occurred against Australia in Lahore.

Azam was the first person from Pakistan to get this honour before him, according to cricket statistician Mazher Arshad. A true ODI legend.

The ICC named him the outstanding player and cited his score of 114 against Australia in Lahore as his most memorable performance in recognising him for his exceptional accomplishments.

With six deliveries left, Pakistan had successfully pursued a huge total of 349 for the cost of just four wickets.

The series opening loss to the "always-difficult Australian side" prompted the cricket committee to declare the game a "must-win contest for Pakistan."

The Green Shirts needed 231 runs from 187 balls after openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq put up a 118-run partnership. This is when Azam came to the team's aid.

In an ODI, he reached his century in just 73 balls, which is a record for him. With the winning total within reach, he continued to bat until the 45th over.

Babar Azam, who won two ICC Awards for his work in 2022, is still at the top of his game, according to CC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting.

In the 2022 ICC Awards, Babar won both the Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for men's cricket, besting strong competition in both categories.

Ponting stated, "Technically, he's really good.

He excels at both fast and spin bowling, and he has the ability to adapt to various environmental factors around the world, which is what sets great bowlers apart from average ones.

"I've seen him first-hand be able to be dominating in different circumstances (than the ones) you're brought up in.

"The best athletes have excellent mental fortitude. You simply need to consider when he plays, how long he bats for in Test matches, how he manages the innings in one-day games, and how he can sort of shift between gears as a batter depending on the situation.

Babar is mentioned in the all-time greats conversation by Ricky Ponting | ICC Review

The figures from Babar read quite well in all three international formats. Babar led his team to the T20 World Cup semifinal in Australia in 2022 while accumulating 735 runs at a strike rate of 123 in T20I play during the year. He also scored 1,184 Test runs at a little under 70, 679 ODI runs at 85, and 679 runs at 85 in ODI cricket.

Many would consider those numbers to be the ceiling, but Ponting believes there is still more to come.

He most likely isn't (at his peak). According to him, most batters reach their peak at the beginning of their thirties.

"Up to a certain point, you sort of work on your game and make it better. For the majority of guys, that's it. Look at the locations of Steve Smith, (David) Warner, and those others. Along with players like Kane Williamson who are in their early thirties, Steve Smith is likely playing as well as he has ever played right now.

Therefore, I believe Babar still has some room for progress, which is a frightening concept given what he has accomplished over the last three to four years in almost all three formats. I enjoy observing him play. I believe there is room for improvement; let's hope it happens.

ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year 2022: Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy

Babar's track record is all the more impressive because he managed to cash in while serving as captain.

Pakistan won eight out of nine ODI matches last year, compiling a record of 14 victories in 26 games from 2016 to 2022, in addition to his impressive run total.

Ponting believes there are leadership wrinkles to be ironed out even though Pakistan, under his guidance, advanced to the semi-finals of the second straight T20 World Cup. Nevertheless, Ponting predicts that Babar would gain wisdom from every circumstance he encounters.

"I must admit, at the T20 World Cup, he appeared to become a little flustered at times, especially during the game against India when things got pretty tense.

You could see some of the more experienced players approaching him and attempting to calm him down and help him think a little bit more clearly, in particular Shadab Khan, according to Ponting.

"However, that's a T20 game. Being the captain of a T20 team is never an easy task, particularly during a World Cup and in a crucial situation like that one where things were becoming pretty tight.

"I'm confident he'll find the perfect approach to lead and be a very successful captain of Pakistan," the commentator said. "With a little more experience under his belt, like he's done with his batting."

The ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year 2022 is Babar Azam.

How far can Babar advance in relation to the greats of Pakistan? Ponting thinks there is no reason he shouldn't be ranked very high, even among such greats.

"He's on a trajectory right now to possibly become the all-time best player. I am aware that players like Younis Khan, Inzamam ul-Haq, and others have more runs than him.

"By the time he's through, I'm sure his numbers will stack up alongside the finest Pakistan has produced, which will be terrific for him as well as all the cricket fans across the world who like seeing him play," said one cricket fan.