DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday, unveiled the nominees for the Player of the Month Awards for July 2024.
The ICC Player of the Month award acknowledges the magnificent individual performers on the international stage, and the names shortlisted for July span a range of formats.
The nominees for the Player of the Month include England’s pace bowler Gus Atkinson, India’s off-spinner Washington Sundar and Scotland’s pace bowler Charlie Cassell.
The Scottish pace bowler made his ODI debut in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 match against Oman.
He made an unforgettable first impression as he claimed the best bowling figures on debut in ODI cricket, breaking South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s nine-year-old record.
Charlie Cassell claimed the spectacular bowling figures of 7-21, becoming the first bowler to take seven wickets on debut.
Another debutant, who left a lasting impression in his first game is Gus Atkinson, who made his Test debut in legendary James Anderson’s farewell international match during the series against West Indies.
Atkinson dismantled the West Indian batting line-up as he claimed a five-wicket haul in each inning, returning with 12 wickets in the match.
He was adjudged man of the match for his heroics as England thumped West Indies by a massive margin of an innings and 114 runs.
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The 26-year-old ran continued his impressive form in the subsequent games, taking 10 more wickets across the remaining two Tests.
He was key to England’s clean sweep victory and earned the Player of the Series award for taking 12 wickets.
The third nominee for the coveted ICC Player of the Month Award is Washington Sundar, who returned to the Indian side during the T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Sundar stepped up in the absence of India’s first-choice players, who were rested for the series following the team’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
The spin-bowling all-rounder proved his worth and helped India defeat Zimbabwe 2-1 in the series. He was adjudged Player of the Series for his eight wickets across three games.
He played a solitary game in the following T20I series against Sri Lanka as India’s regular players returned to the side.
However, he gave an impactful performance in the only game he played. He scored a crucial 25 off 18 balls to help India post 137/9.
He then picked two important wickets during Sri Lanka’s innings to force the game into Super Over as the hosts managed 137/8 in 20 overs.
Rohit Sharma trusted Sundar to bowl the Super Over and the off-spinner repaid the faith, taking two wickets for two runs, which earned him a Player of the Match award.