ICC Men’s Award: In the exciting world of international cricket, the month of August 2023 brought remarkable performances for some players who left their mark on the field.
Out of these outstanding performers, three players have been nominated for the prestigious ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. Let’s look at the outstanding exploits of Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Shadab Khan and West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran.
Babar Azam: class A plus Player
Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam continues to dominate the cricket world. His nomination for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for August 2023 is a testament to his remarkable form.
Babar’s innings were important to Pakistan’s success in the ODI series against Afghanistan. In the second ODI, he put on a brilliant 118-run partnership with Imam-ul-Haq to lay the foundation for a thrilling victory in the last over.
Chasing the target, Babar contributed a valuable 53, including Imam’s 91. Pakistan eventually won the match with one ball and one wicket to spare, thanks in part to the brilliance of their captain.
Babar did not stop there; He then scored another impressive 60, helping his team post a commendable 268/8. After this, Pakistan’s bowlers registered a comfortable 59-run victory and a clean sweep in the series.
Babar’s exceptional form continued in the Asia Cup, where he scored a brilliant 151 against Nepal and became the fastest player to reach 19 ODI hundreds.
With this century, Babar Azam joined the elite company of Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar, who have 31 hundred across all formats for Pakistan. His consistent performances and captaincy skills make him a worthy nominee for the award.
Shadab Khan: The exceptional all-rounder
Pakistan’s star all-rounder Shadab Khan also earned the Player of the Month nomination for his remarkable contribution in August 2023. In the opening ODI against Afghanistan, Shadab displayed his all-round skills, scoring 39 off 50 balls and taking a crucial wicket.
Wicket, which took Pakistan to a respectable score of 201. His performances with both bat and ball laid the foundation for Pakistan’s dominance in the series.
In the second ODI, Shadab’s batting prowess was on full display as he scored 48 off 35 balls to earn the player of the match award. His exceptional performance with the lower-order batsmen turned the tide of the game and led Pakistan to a thrilling victory.
Shadab continued to shine in the final ODI and contributed with the ball, taking three important wickets including Riaz Hasan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Shahidullah. His stellar performance broke the backbone of Afghanistan’s batting lineup and Pakistan won the series 3–0.
In the opening match of the Asia Cup, Shadab continued his impressive form, taking four wickets with remarkable figures of 4/27 against Nepal. His all-round ability makes him a strong contender for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award.
Nicholas Pooran: The Windies Powerhouse
August 2023 was a memorable month for Nicholas Pooran, who represented the West Indies. His performance was instrumental in West Indies breaking their six-year drought in the T20I series against India. In the first T20I, Pooran played a measured innings and scored a 34-ball 41, helping West Indies post a competitive 149/6.
The Windies eventually won a thrilling four-run victory over India in that match. Pooran’s standout moment came in the second T20I when he played an explosive knock, scoring 67 off just 40 balls, including six fours and four sixes.
Despite a late-game collapse, this knock took the game away from India. In a tense match, the ninth-wicket pair of the West Indies managed to seal the victory.
Although Pooran suffered setbacks in the third and fourth T20Is, he bounced back in the final match with a crucial 47 off 35 balls, helping West Indies chase down 166 to win by eight wickets. Scored a total of 176 runs at a remarkable strike rate. Pooran was adjudged Player of the Series with a score of 141.93.
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