6 Best Associate players of the year 2015

Over the past decade, the emergence of Associate nations has been one of the brighter developments in cricket in this millennium. While they have not yet reached the levels of being termed as cricket giants, they have made enough ripples for the top teams to be wary of them. And why not? The results for the Associates have been quite favorable to them this year. Be it Ireland’s clinical victory over the ailing Windies, or Afghanistan’s incredible record against the Zimbabweans this year. Even the on-going series between the two nations shows how far Afghanistan has matured as a cricketing nation, and along with Ireland, they have been the figurehead for the Associates’ development and thereby enforcing the ICC to allocate a larger surplus of profits to the Associates in the coming decade. And some of the players from these teams stood above the rest this year. In this list, we take a look at the best performing Associate players of 2015. 1. Khurram Khan (UAE): Khurram Khan. (Photo Source: ICC) Not many might have expected that a 43-year-old batsman from UAE will be the only ICC award winner from Asia this year. But that’s exactly how the events unfolded. Khurram’s consistency over the year was well appreciated with an ICC Associate player of the year award. And it was well deserved, considering his tally of 425 runs in 9 ODIs in the 2014-15 season. Additionally, his contribution in UAE’s qualification into the ICC World Cup was remarkable. He may not be able to see past a couple of years in the national jersey, but he will surely cherish the pinnacle of his cricketing career- winning the ICC Associates player of the year award and helping UAE qualify for the World Cup. 2. Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan): ‘Cricket is the sign of peace in Afghanistan’ – Mohammad Nabi. True leaders in international cricket are a rare breed of players who stand out with their captaincy skills and have a knack of playing the right way exactly when the team wants it. And Nabi definitely falls into that category. An all-rounder in the mould of Pakistani players like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, Nabi has been exceptional for Afghanistan and has been a key player in its progress in international cricket. His stats might be modest – 374 runs in 17 ODIs, 165 runs in 8 T20Is, and has chipped in with 14 and 8 wickets in respective formats. But his overall impact as a player and a captain has been noteworthy and that is what makes him one of the best of 2015 amongst associates. 3. Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan): Mohammad Shahzad. (Photo Source: ICC) He is typically the rockstar of Afghanistani cricket. A player known for his flamboyance with the bat and sturdiness behind the wickets, Shahzad is perhaps one of the most loved cricketers in Afghanistan. And why not? While his performance behind the stumps talks for itself, his batting has improved leaps and bounds. He has scored 312 ODI runs internationally this year, including a record-breaking 131* against Zimbabwe a couple of days ago. His T20I record this year includes 297 runs in 11 matches. His rise to the top has been one of the fairytale stories in Afghanistan, and he will remain a key component in the upcoming World T20 in India. 4. Shaiman Anwar (UAE): This list couldn’t have ended without the mention of Shaiman Anwar of UAE. (Photo Source:AFP) Shaiman Anwar was a surprise package in this year’s World Cup, who topped the run-scorer table halfway through the group stages. Known for his firm technique, and six-hitting prowess, Shaiman has stood out this year for UAE. With 458 runs in 8 ODIs this year and a decent 113 runs in 4 T20Is, Shaiman was the stand-out performer for UAE. Though, at 36, he might not have a long career ahead of him, but he can definitely continue for a few years and mentor a few of the upcoming players. 5. Paul Stirling (Ireland): (Photo Source: Getty Images) Paul Stirling had an ordinary year by his standards. But his contribution to the Irish cricket, especially in helping them qualify for the next year’s World T20, and his overall maturity as an all-rounder, has made him one of the potential players to watch out in the coming years. He has scored over 2500 international runs at just 25 years of age is something noteworthy, considering he plays for an Associate team and has a long career laid out. With the retirements of Irish old workhorses, the development of their cricket will slowly revolve around the development of this player, who has the opportunity to become one of the greatest players to have emerged from an Associate nation. 6. Dawlat Zardan (Afghanistan): Dawlat Zardan. (© JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) Dawlat Zardan had an outstanding year with the ball this year, and his emergence has made the Afghanistan bowling attack a force to reckon. With 21 wickets in 15 ODIs and 25 in 19 T20Is, he has been a consistent performer for the emerging side. A bowler who bowls at an excellent pace, Dawlat has swung the new ball well and has moulded himself similar to his idol, Waqar Younis. Under a coach who’s international experience is vast, Dawlat has continued to impress, and will hold the key to fortune for Afghanistan to spring up a few surprises in the next year’s T20 WC.

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6 Best Associate players of the year 2015

3. Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan):

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