(Cricket news) Paul Stirling and Simi Singh have been named by the International Cricket Council in the Men’s ODI Team of the Year. Last week, Stirling guided his team to a series win over the West Indies and scored 705 runs in 2021 with an average of 79.66 which included two half-centuries and three centuries and finished top run-scorer worldwide in the ODI format. Simi Singh picked up 19 wickets in ODI matches with an average of 20.15, which included one five-for. He also scored 280 runs at 46.66 which includes a century against South Africa at the Malahide, becoming the first ever batter in ODI cricket to come in at eighth and score a ton. 

Stirling said: “It’s a nice way to close the chapter on 2021 being named in this team of the year. It was pleasing that the hard work put in with Graham Ford has paid off. You are always looking to improve as an international sportsman so to have probably my most successful year in an Ireland shirt to date was extremely satisfying and gives me a benchmark to try and surpass in years to come.

“I would say the highlight for me was scoring so heavily in one tour in January. I had just come from Sri Lanka where I had really struggled for form and rhythm so to be able to turn that around in a few weeks has given me a lot of confidence when future runs are hard to come by. Of course the T20I hundred at Bready against Zimbabwe was a memorable one too, it’s always nice being able to raise the bat in front of your home support.”

Singh said: “It’s great to be recognised at the highest level and to be named among the top players in the world is a surreal feeling. Winning against South Africa, scoring my maiden ODI ton, taking my maiden ODI five-for, hitting a maiden ODI fifty in the same year was pretty special personally.”

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