Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam and opening batsmen Fakhar Zaman have been included in the nominees for April’s ICC Player of the Month Awards.
In the month of April, Pakistan captain Babar Azam became the number one ranked batsman in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, ending India captain Virat Kohli’s long reign at the top of the charts.
Babar’s match-winning 82-ball 94 in the third and final ODI against South Africa helped him gain 13 rating points to reach a career-best 865 points. He also contributed 122 from 59 balls in Pakistan’s successful chase in the third match of a T20I series against the same opposition.
His compatriot Fakhar Zaman also produced a stellar showing during the month, scoring two centuries in the ODI series victory over South Africa, including a magnificent 193 in the second match in Johannesburg.
Completing the men’s shortlist, Nepal’s Khushal Bhurtel was the leading run-scorer as his team won a tri-series also featuring the Netherlands and Malaysia. His significant contribution with the bat amassed 278 runs, including four half-centuries in five matches.
In the women’s game, Australia’s Alyssa Healy played three ODIs versus New Zealand, scoring 155 runs at an average of 51.66 and a strike rate of 98.72. Her efforts saw her finish as the leading run-scorer in Australia’s series victory over New Zealand that extended their record-winning streak to 24 ODIs.
Her teammate Megan Schutt became Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the same series, taking seven wickets at an average of 13.14.
New Zealand’s Leigh Kasperek played two ODIs against Australia, achieving career-best figures of six for 46 in the second match of the series, and followed this up with three more wickets in the final match, finishing with nine wickets at an average of 7.77.
A few months back, ICC started the ‘Player of the Month Award’ to recognise the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket.
