ICC Player of the Month Nominations for January Announced; Pant, Root Are in Fray for Player of Month Awards

New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Tuesday, announced the nominees for the inaugural ICC Player of the Month Awards which recognize and celebrate the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year.

Rishabh Pant played two Tests against Australia where he scored a 97 at Sydney to ensure a draw before an unbeaten 89 at Brisbane that led India to a historic series win against arch-rival Australia.

England Captain Joe Root played two Tests against Sri Lanka, where he scored 228 and 186 and led his team to a 2-0 Test series victory. The third nominee in the category, Ireland’s Paul Stirling played two ODIs v UAE and three ODIs v Afghanistan, where he scored three centuries.

Diana Baig of Pakistan played three ODIs and two T20Is against South Africa, where she led the wicket-takers with nine wickets in the three-match ODI series against South Africa.

South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail also played three ODIs and two T20Is against Pakistan and took seven wickets in the victorious ODI series against Pakistan, before taking five wickets in the second T20I against the same opposition.

Her compatriot all-rounder Marizanne Kapp, who is the third nominee in the category played two ODIs and two T20Is against Pakistan where she made 115 runs at a strike rate of 110.57 and added three wickets in the ODI series against Pakistan. 

Fans have been treated to some sensational cricket during January, making the inaugural player of the month awards a highly competitive affair.

Voting is now open on https://www.icc-cricket.com/awards/awards-of-the-decade for their favorite ICC Player of the Month (January).