Noman, Santner and Wolvaardt among nominees for ICC Player of the Month award

Dubai, Nov 5 (IANS) Noman Ali, Mitchell Santner and Kagiso Rabada are among those nominated in the men’s category while Amelia Kerr, Deandra Dottin and Laura Wolvaardt will compete in the women’s category for the ICC Player of the Month awards for October.

Noman Ali is shortlisted for the first time after his wicket-taking exploits on home soil helped Pakistan secure a memorable comeback victory over England. Joining him among the October nominees is Mitchell Santner, after the left-arm spinner bowled New Zealand to victory in the second Test against India at Pune.

Kagiso Rabada reclaimed the top spot in the ICC men’s Test bowling rankings during the month and his outstanding efforts during South Africa’s series triumph in Bangladesh earned him his latest nomination.

New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr is nominated thanks to a memorable string of performances in which she set a new wicket-taking record as the White Ferns secured their maiden T20 World Cup triumph in the UAE.

Deandra Dottin made her return to the West Indies’ lineup in October and made an immediate impact, inspiring her side to reach the semi-final of the competition with valuable runs and wickets. Laura Wolvaardt completes the shortlist after topping the run-scoring charts and captaining South Africa to their second successive Women’s T20 World Cup final.

In the men’s category, Noman took a giant leap in Test cricket and earned his first nomination for the award with 20 wickets at an average of 13.85 across his two Tests against England in Multan and Rawalpindi. He along with Sajid Khan made the light work of England batters on the spin-friendly surfaces to win the series 2-1.

South African pacer Kagiso Rabada claimed his 300th Test wicket on his way to match figures of nine for 72 in the first Test against Bangladesh, which included a match-winning six for 46 in the second innings.

Having reclaimed the top spot in the ICC men’s Test bowling rankings as a result of the Mirpur victory, the pacer was among the wickets once again in Chattogram, taking five for 37 in the first innings as the visitors eventually clinched the series with an innings victory and gained valuable points in their quest for an ICC World Test Championship Final berth.

Despite just the one outing during the calendar month, Santner made a telling contribution in the second and decisive Test victory over India in Pune to seal a historic series victory for New Zealand. Drafted into the side following their victory in Bengaluru, the left-arm spinner ripped through the Indian batting lineup in the first innings, making expert use of pace variations and a favourable surface to record best Test figures of seven for 53.

Then with India chasing a sizeable target of 359 for victory, Santner once again spun his way through the opposition, taking six for 104 to secure a 113-run victory and the visitors’ first series win in India.

In the women’s category, West Indies’ all-rounder Dottin made her comeback for the national side at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE and was a driving force as the islanders reached their first semi-final at the event since 2018. She was instrumental in victories over Scotland and Bangladesh but saved her most valuable contributions for the latter stages, where she shone with the bat, ball, and in the field in their group stage win over England, before producing a memorable individual display with 33 runs and four wickets in the thrilling semi-final defeat to eventual champions New Zealand.

A previous winner of the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award back in February 2022, the all-rounder Kerr was a key figure in New Zealand’s run to glory in the UAE, hitting 135 runs and taking a record 15 wickets on her way to securing the Player of the Tournament crown.

Standout performances came against Australia, Sri Lanka, and most impressively in the final against South Africa, where she top-scored for the White Ferns with a crucial 43 from 38 balls before taking three for 24 with the ball.

Nominated on four previous occasions but still searching for her maiden Women’s Player of the Month prize, Wolvaardt was at the forefront of South Africa’s surge to the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup, topping the tournament run-scoring charts with 223 runs at an average of 44.60 in her first ICC tournament as captain.

Among her highlights, the 25-year-old hit 40-plus scores against West Indies, England, Scotland and in the dramatic semi-final victory over Australia, only to fall short despite 33 more runs in the final outing against New Zealand in Dubai.

–IANS

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