England step on the gas, India stutter at the crunch, Bangladesh take a step up
Our first batch of team report cards for 2022 also includes Ireland, Afghanistan, West Indies and Zimbabwe
England
I'll try to keep it brief… but good grief.
Nine Test wins in ten, and every one of them a stunning display in its own right. But the Rawalpindi victory was in a different league entirely. That first-day total of 506 for 4, that last-day surge after Stokes' impeccably judged declaration. And all achieved in spite of a debilitating sickness bug on the eve of the Test. All the recipes for instant greatness.
Did the Ashes even happen this year? The midwinter misery of 2021-22 could not seem a more distant memory. But if we have to dredge into long-forgotten horrors, then the loss of ten wickets for 56 runs in 22.5 overs on the final day of the series in Hobart seems a suitably bum note to hit.
India
Losing a Test series in South Africa, losing the decider of the Test series, brought forward from last year, in England, an early exit in the Asia Cup, losing in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Australia, losing an ODI series to Bangladesh in Bangladesh - this is hardly the honeymoon period either Rohit Sharma, the new captain of the men's side, or Rahul Dravid, the new coach, would have hoped for. Especially after the heady highs of last year's Test series win in Australia.
India Women went to the home of the ODI World Cup runners-up, England, as absolute no-hopers. However, after finishing the Commonwealth Games two shots from the title, they continued their good form in the bilateral ODIs against the hosts, providing Goswami with a perfect farewell . Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain, scored 221 runs while getting out only once, Renuka Singh emerged as a new fast-bowling hope, and they rattled a few cages by running out a batter who was backing up too far before the ball left the bowler's hand.
The men could smell a series win in South Africa. In fact, after the first Test, which they won comprehensively, and after three innings of the second, it looked like it was theirs. This team was known for winning if it won the toss, especially when it had well above 200 to defend in the last innings. However, they failed to defend 239 and 211 in that second Test and the one that followed, on spicy tracks. It was not just that they lost; they lost by seven wickets each time and conceded the runs in a hurry. India had a good attack but the pitches suited the taller South African bowlers more, costing the visitors their best chance at a series win in South Africa to date.
West Indies
Three wins and two draws in seven Tests, including a series victory over England at home, should count as a good year, but by the end of 2022, West Indies' tendency to fail in Australia, where they haven't won a series since 1992, once again elicited the age-old debates about their Test future.
Beating hosts New Zealand and England back to back to begin the Women's World Cup with two massive wins many didn't anticipate.
The men's home ODI series loss to Ireland, who would also knock them out in the first round of the T20 World Cup with a nine-wicket pounding.
Bangladesh
The numbers don't suggest it but 2022 was one of Bangladesh's most productive years in international cricket - they won more matches in 2021, but 2022 is comparable to 2015 in terms of the quality of the opposition they defeated.
The miracle at Mount Maunganui and the 2-1 wins over South Africa and India in ODIs were high-water marks in Bangladesh's cricket history.
Bangladesh lost to Zimbabwe in ODI and T20I series for the first time in nine years.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan may not have the seismic upset results over the years that other teams have had on the pathway from Associate to Full Member status, but 2022 showed that they continue to make steady progress in gaining respect with a steady march up the global rankings.
Beating eventual champions Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to top Group B in the first round of the Asia Cup.
Continued inactivity for women's cricket initiatives at domestic and national team level, which is part of the criteria to be a Full Member of the ICC.
Zimbabwe
A year of two halves started with Zimbabwe's men's team losing 11 of their first 14 international fixtures - including series defeats to Afghanistan and Namibia - before winning 13 of their next 25 matches. The difference? A change in coach.
Zimbabwe stunned eventual finalists Pakistan in the T20 World Cup by defending an under-par 130 in Perth. Pakistan were on track on 88 for 3 before Zimbabwe's man of the year, Sikandar Raza, took three wickets in five balls. Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani squeezed the Pakistan batting and Brad Evans defended ten runs off the last over to secure a massive upset.
It's tough being always eclipsed by South Africa, but imagine when even Namibia overshadow you? In May, Zimbabwe lost a T20I series to their lower-profile neighbours, but they did make up for it by qualifying for the Super 12 at the T20 World Cup when Namibia didn't.
T20Is: P15 W12 L3
UAE
Having not played in a World Cup of any kind since 2015, UAE made a spectacular splash in 2022. Not only did they qualify for the men's T20 World Cup by winning the qualifying event in Oman in February - a performance that included a pair of victories over Ireland in both the group stage and the final - they also managed to spring a surprise upset of Namibia to end the group stage of the T20 World Cup itself, a result that denied Namibia what would have been their second straight trip to the Super 12s.
Fighting off the cold in Hobart, and a talented opponent in Namibia, to win a match at the men's T20 World Cup.
Very nearly blowing a chance to reach the T20 World Cup in the first place with a two-run loss to Bahrain to end the group stage of the men's qualifier in Oman.
T20Is: P28 W16 L10 NR2
Oman
After a spate of successes under the leadership of head coach Duleep Mendis, Omanwere underwhelming in 2022. Less than four months after being co-hosts of the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup with the UAE, they could not secure a berth for the next edition of the tournament, despite hosting the qualifier. A loss to Nepal in round-robin play meant they finished as runners-up in Group B, pitting them against Group A leader Ireland in a crossover semi-final that wound up being fairly one-sided.
Bilal Khan finishing as the leading wicket-taker in CWC League 2 with 76 wickets.
A clumsy chase against Ireland that saw Oman go from 68 for 2 at the halfway points chasing a target of 166 to 109 all out in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup Qualifier.
T20Is: P9 W4 L4 NR1
Scotland
Change would a recurring theme for Scotland in 2022, both on and off the field. Allegations by former spinner Majid Haq, among others, sparked an independent review that concluded that Cricket Scotland's governance and leadership practices were "institutionally racist". In anticipation of the report findings being made public in July, the entire Cricket Scotland board resigned en masse.
Not just beating West Indies, but the manner in which they did it. A thumping 42-run win highlighted by Mark Watt's trio of wickets off deliveries bowled from 25 yards away.
Calum MacLeod abruptly announcing his retirement at age 32, following the end of the T20 World Cup after a summer in which he was in blistering form with the bat.
T20Is: P11 W4 L7