Three Pakistani players have been included in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test team of 2021. Pakistan’s veteran middle-order batter, Fawad Alam, and the pace duo of Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali have been rewarded for their exceptional performances in the longest format of the game throughout the past year.
Fawad Alam was incredible in his comeback year in the national Test side. The unorthodox batter scored some memorable knocks which included a century against South Africa in Karachi and a century against West Indies in Kingston. Overall, Fawad scored three centuries and two half-centuries in 2021. He scored 571 runs at a healthy average of 57.10 in 13 innings he played in Test cricket last year.
Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali were outstanding in the calendar year as well. Shaheen finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the world while Hasan finished as the third-highest wicket-taker in the world in 2021.
Shaheen picked up 47 wickets at an average of 17.06 in 9 matches he played in the calendar year. Hasan was exceptional as well as he picked up 41 wickets at an average of 16.07 in 8 matches.
New Zealand captain, Kane Williamson has been appointed the captain of the side as he led New Zealand to the title in the World Test Championship.
Apart from three Pakistani players, the ICC Test Team of the Year includes three players from India, two from New Zealand, and one each from England, Australia, and Sri Lanka.
Here is ICC’s Test Team of the Year:
| Dimuth Karunaratne | Sri Lanka |
| Rohit Sharma | India |
| Marnus Labuschagne | Australia |
| Joe Root | England |
| Kane Williamson (c) | New Zealand |
| Fawad Alam | Pakistan |
| Rishabh Pant (wk) | India |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India |
| Kyle Jamieson | New Zealand |
| Hasan Ali | Pakistan |
| Shaheen Afridi | Pakistan |