Babar Azam on brink of another world record

Pakistan captain Babar Azam is on the cusp of another record as he could become the only player to win the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player of the Month award for the third time.

The International Cricket Council Tuesday revealed the latest crop of outstanding international performers shortlisted for their outstanding performances in May as the candidates for the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month Awards were announced.

A competitive month of men’s international matches saw the conclusion of fixtures in the ICC Super League, thus confirming the full lineup of teams set to battle it out in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe later this month.

In women’s internationals, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh went head-to-head in May, along with a host of bilateral fixtures and the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia which was won by Thailand.

The Men’s shortlist comprises three names which starred in the ODI format. Pakistan skipper and holder of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, Babar Azam is nominated for his performances at the latter end of his side’s series victory over New Zealand.

Bangladesh batter Najmul Hossain Shanto is shortlisted for the first time following a prolific spell of run-scoring as his side triumphed over Ireland.

The final candidate in line for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award is Ireland’s Harry Tector, who continued his fine international form against Bangladesh, albeit in a losing cause.

Sri Lanka can boast two nominees for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for May. Captain Chamari Athapaththu led the line in series victories over Bangladesh in ODI and T20Is, scoring well in both formats. Her compatriot Harshitha Madavi also enjoyed decisive contributions in both series, starring as the Player of the Series in the T20I round of matches. The lineup is completed by Thailand’s Thipoatcha Putthawong, who aims to emulate teammate Naruemol Chaiwai’s Player of the Month prize in April, and whose bowling prowess helped her side claim gold in the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh.

An independent ICC Voting Academy and fans around the world will now be invited to cast their votes to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered at icc-cricket.com/awards will be able to vote for their favourite performers until Saturday.

ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for May:

Babar Azam (PAK)

As Fakhar Zaman dominated the start of the ODI series against New Zealand in April – claiming the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award in the process – his captain Babar Azam took the spotlight in the latter stages of the 4-1 win on home soil. 54 runs in the third ODI preceded his highlight of the month, a commanding 107 from 117, guiding the home side to a convincing 102-run triumph in Karachi. If successful, Babar will become the first player to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award on three separate occasions (April 2021 and March 2022).

Najmul Hossain Shanto (BAN)

Bangladesh and Ireland played out the final series in the ICC Super League during the month, and Shanto claimed the Player of the Series award for 196 runs across the tourists’ hard-fought 2-0 sweep. Sandwiched between 44 runs in the abandoned first ODI and 35 in the final match, Shanto was the principal catalyst in a memorable last-over triumph in the second fixture, scoring a brilliant 117 in 93 balls which helped them chase down an improbable 320 in Chelmsford after a slow start.

Harry Tector (IRE)

Tector becomes Ireland’s first nominee for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award since Paul Stirling was shortlisted back in January 2021, and his maiden nomination comes on the back of a sustained period of good form in international colours. Despite the series against Bangladesh ending in defeat, Tector’s 206 runs presented several positives for Ireland as the Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier approaches, most notably a career-best innings of 140 in the second ODI, featuring 10 sixes.