The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced the August nominees for the ICC Player of the Month awards, instituted in January this year to recognise the best international performances across formats for male and female cricketers.
The nominees for the monthly men’s awards this time are, Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi, India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Joe Root from England while Thailand’s Nattaya Boochatham, Gaby Lewis and Eimer Richardson from Ireland feature in the women’s shortlist.
An independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world can now vote to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered on icc-cricket.com/awards are invited to cast their votes for their favourite ICC player of the month for August in both categories.
ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
Shaheen Afridi who played two Tests against the West Indies last month was exceptional with the ball in both the games and secured the best bowling figures by a Pakistan fast bowler since 2006. In the first game against the West Indies, Shaheen took eight wickets, before completing a ten-wicket match haul to bowl Pakistan to a series-levelling 109-run victory over the West Indies in the second Test. 21-year-old Shaheen also became the fourth youngest fast bowler from Pakistan to this feat which features his compatriots, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Mohammad Zahid.
Jaspreet Bumrah (India)
Indian pacer Bumrah played three Tests against England as part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series last month where he took nine wickets in the first Test and contributed brilliantly with the bat in his match winning partnership of an unbeaten 89 with Mohammed Shami which kept the opposition waiting for a breakthrough and helped bring India victory in the second Test at the Lords.
Joe Root (England)
England captain Joe Root also played three Tests against India last month where he scored centuries in each and reclaimed the number one spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. Root’s sublime form in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series against India has helped him reclaim the top spot for batters after nearly six years.
ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August:
Nattaya Boochatham (Thailand)
Vital contributions with both ball and bat in the series against Zimbabwe last month helped Thailand's Nattaya Boochatham achieve a career-best position across the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player rankings for batters, bowlers, and all-rounders last month. Boochatham played a starring role in Thailand's 2-1 triumph over Zimbabwe, winning the Player of the Match award in both their wins.
Gaby Lewis (Ireland)
Gaby Lewis became the first Irish woman to score a century in T20I cricket as Ireland registered a 164-run win over Germany in the opening game of the Europe Qualifiers of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup supported by Dream 11. Lewis struck 11 fours and three sixes in a remarkable 60-ball unbeaten innings of 105.
Eimear Richardson (Ireland)
Eimear Richardson was the Player of the Tournament in Europe Qualifiers of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for her contributions with bat and ball. In the four T20Is she played against Germany, Scotland, France and Netherlands, Richardson took 7 wickets at an economy rate of 4.19 and scored a total of 76 runs.
The voting process:
The three nominees for either category is shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month. The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters, and members of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 per cent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC’s digital channels.
ICC Voting Academy for ICC Player of the Month August 2021*:
Afghanistan: Hameed Qayoomi and Javed Hamim; Australia: Melinda Farrell and Lisa Sthalekar; Bangladesh: Tarek Mahmoud and Mohammad Isam’ England: Elizabeth Ammon and Claire Taylor; Ireland: Ian Callender and Isobel Joyce; India: Rica Roy and Irfan Pathan New Zealand: Mark Geenty and John Wright; Pakistan: Faizan Lakhani and Ramiz Raja; South Africa: Firdose Moonda and Makhaya Ntini; Sri Lanka: Neville Victor Anthony and Russel Arnold; West Indies: Desmond Haynes and Merissa Aguilleira; Zimbabwe: Tristan Holme and Mpumelelo Mbangwa; Others: Paul Radley and Dirk Nannes.
