UK (Commonwealth) _The International Cricket Council has announced the finalists for ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the month for December 2023. The shortlist for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award is made up of three outstanding performers from last month’s key World Test Championship matches.
After leading Australia to a series victory over Pakistan with a dominant bowling performance, Pat Cummins received his first nomination for ICC Men’s Player of the Month, capping an incredible year as captain.Thanks to his outstanding bowling performances throughout the series against New Zealand, Taijul Islam of Bangladesh is also happy to receive his first nomination. Glenn Phillips of the Blackcaps, who is the third nominee for the December award, showed a great deal of bravery in the series-tying Test match between the two teams.
Two of India’s top match-winners during their multi-format month are on the December ICC Women’s Player of the Month shortlist, together with a Zimbabwean veteran who dazzled at the ICC Women’s T20WC Africa Qualifier.
During the Africa Qualifier, Precious Marange had a brilliant run of form that included a hat-trick in the last game, as she easily defeated Zimbabwe.December saw Jemimah Rodrigues lead India’s batting attack brilliantly, scoring significant runs in both Tests and One-Day Internationals against Australia and England. Due to her explosive performances at both ends of the wicket, including noteworthy runs and wickets against the same opposition, her teammate Deepti Sharma rounds out the selection.
The winners will be revealed the following week, and votes will now be accepted from fans worldwide and an impartial ICC Voting Academy. Voting for their favorite acts will be open to fans who have registered at icc-cricket.com/awards through Saturday.
ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees:
Pat Cummins, (Australia)
With so many brilliant moments in 2023, Cummins is very much in the running for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy at the ICC Awards. December brought an end to an excellent year for Australia in all forms of cricket. As the game approached its nerve-wracking conclusion, Cummins led Australia to victory in the second Test in Melbourne, taking ten wickets in the match, five of which came at the end of the second innings.
Taijul Islam (Ban)
Another player enjoying his first nomination for Player of the Month is Taijul Islam. The seasoned left-arm spinner led Bangladesh to victory in the opening Test match against the visiting Blackcaps in Sylhet with a commanding spell. New Zealand lost the first innings by 150 runs despite taking four wickets and then a remarkable six for 75.
Glenn Phillips (NZ)
Taijul was Bangladesh’s top player, but Phillips was New Zealand’s bright spot as they prevailed in the second game to secure a 1-1 series tie. Prior to his second-test miracle, Phillips had contributed significant runs and claimed five wickets, albeit in vain.
ICC Women’s Player of the Month nominees:
Precious Marange (ZIM)
The seasoned bowler from Zimbabwe had a string of performances that defined her career in December, helping her team win the Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier. After taking two wickets in their first game against Kenya, they were unable to take any more in their encounter against Botswana.
Jemimah Rodrigues (IND)
In December, Rodrigues shown exceptional adaptability by putting up strong batting performances across all game forms. Following a poor T20I start to the month, India’s two Test triumphs against Australia and England featured elegant first innings scores of 70 or more.
Deepti Sharma (IND)
The all-rounder contributed significantly to India’s December Test and ODI matches as well. Sharma’s triumph against England in the Test match stands out in particular since he scored 67 and 20 runs at bat and claimed nine wickets against the opposition.
