Dubai, Feb 7 (FN Agency) The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday revealed the names shortlisted for the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for January 2023following a blockbuster month of cricket which included a host of bilateral cricket across theglobe, and the thrilling climax of the first-ever ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. The ICC Player of the Month awards celebrate the outstanding cricketers on the international stage from the previous calendar month, and the lineups for January 2023 feature a blend of established international performers and exciting new talent hoping to claim the awards. The ICC Women’s Player of the Month shortlist features two prolific Australian batters along withthe Player of the Tournament from the inaugural edition of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Phoebe Litchfield made her ODI debut in January and was quick to make an impact on the international stage in the 50-over format, scoring impressive back-to-back half-centuries during the recent series victory over Pakistan. Her teammate and opening partner Beth Mooney also thrivedat the crease last month, scoring big runs including a century in the final ODI, once again underlining her expertise in white ball cricket. The lineup is completed by England’s U19 captain Grace Scrivens, who claimed the Player of the Tournament prize in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup following a string of impressive all-round performances.
The candidates that make up the ICC Men’s Player of the Month shortlist feature an Indian batting and bowling duo who starred in the shorter formats, and a New Zealand century-maker in Test and ODI cricket.Talented batter Shubman Gill dazzled in recent ODI performances against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, registering two centuries and one double-century. Mohammed Siraj continues to rocketup the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, and reached the summit for bowlers in January thanks to back-to-back four-wicket hauls against the same opposition. Completing the men’s shortlist for January is New Zealand opener Devon Conway, who started the month scoring a Test century in Pakistan, and ended with another three-figure score, this time in ODIs, in India.An independent ICC Voting Academy and fans around the world will now cast their votes to decide the winners, which will be announced next week.