South Africa's Marco Jansen crowned as ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of 2022
Jan 25, 2023
Dubai [UAE], January 25 : South Africa bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen was crowned as the ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2022, announced the global cricket body on Wednesday.
"Sizzling displays with the ball and vital contributions with the bat at crucial moments - the winner of the ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year Award had an unforgettable 2022. Jansen beat tough competition from India's Arshdeep Singh, Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran and New Zealand's Finn Allen, who all enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2022. Here we take a look at his exploits throughout the calendar year," said a statement from ICC.
Just when one thought South Africa's bowling attack could not be strengthened, up stepped a 206cm left-arm quick who made an impression of his own.
Jansen's first nine* Test matches (*including Boxing Day in Australia) have turned heads in the cricket world, and moments with the white-ball show there will be little respite for batting line-ups no matter the format.
After a strong Test debut on home soil on Boxing Day in 2021, Jansen continued to trouble his opponents no matter where he travelled in 2022. Taking 14 Test wickets in the calendar year in South Africa at just 13.50, Jansen emulated the success on tour in England and Australia, averaging just 13.11 and 13.33 respectively. His nine Test wickets in New Zealand came at a respectable 28.55 to boot, as he contributed with the bat for Dean Elgar's side.
Making 30 with the bat in South Africa's paltry total of 118 against England at The Oval in the third Test of the series in September last year, Jansen brought his form into the bowling performance, finishing with a maiden five-wicket haul on a surface historically good for batting.
Jansen made a mess of Alex Lee's stumps to start the run, before trapping Zak Crawley plumb lbw in an early double-strike. He claimed Joe Root and Harry Brook when he returned to the bowling crease, before dismissing Ben Foakes for his fifth. He finished with 5/35 as South Africa hit back in the match, bowling England out for just 158. These are his best bowling figures in Tests.
Jansen made four appearances for South Africa across the two white-ball formats, showing early glimpses of his quality. He claimed Shreyas Iyer in his only T20I and a pair of wickets in an ODI against Bangladesh. He played three ODIs last year, taking two wickets in total and scoring 16 runs with the bat in two innings. He also scored 12 runs in only T20I he played against India last year.
The 22-year-old bowling all-rounder finished 2022 on high. In eight Tests, he took 36 wickets at an average of 19.02 and an economy rate of 3.18. His best bowling figures in a match of 7/91 came against India came in Cape Town during a hotly-contested Test series between both sides in January 2022.
He also scored a useful 234 runs in eight Tests across 13 innings at an average of 21.27, with the best score of 59, his only Test fifty.
