The International Cricket Council (ICC) today revealed the shortlists of nominees for the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for January 2024.
The ICC Men’s Player of the Month shortlist includes the architects of two memorable Test victories away from home, plus a prolific pacer who celebrated another significant milestone in the longest format.
Josh Hazlewood took his 250th Test wicket in January while bowling Australia to notable victories against Pakistan and West Indies. Shamar Joseph enjoyed a remarkable start to his international career last month, claiming a prized wicket with his first ball in Test cricket as well as producing an iconic spell to clinch a dramatic victory for the West Indies in Brisbane. The lineup is completed by another Test hero, Ollie Pope, whose mammoth innings in Hyderabad turned England’s big first innings deficit into a landmark win.
Hazlewood, Joseph and Pope are all first-time nominees in the ICC Player of the Month Awards.
The ICC Women’s Player of the Month nominees feature a decorated Australian duo and an explosive Ireland T20I runscorer.
Australia’s Alyssa Healy was once more in sparkling form in January, recording decisive knocks in her side’s ODI and T20I series successes against India and South Africa. Teammate Beth Mooney also got in on the act by scoring heavily en route to the Player of the Series award against South Africa. Completing the lineup is 18-year-old wicketkeeper batter Amy Hunter, whose fireworks with the bat ensured Ireland secured a comfortable T20I series win in Zimbabwe.
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 January:
Josh Hazlewood (AUS)
The Australian pacer joined an elite club in January after taking his 250th wicket in the longest format. Hazlewood played three Tests during the month, starting in fine fashion with four wickets in the second innings of their third matchup against Pakistan, to bowl the tourists out cheaply and contribute to an eight-wicket win in Sydney. The 33-year-old followed up by taking nine wickets in the first Test against West Indies and five in the second Test in Brisbane, clocking up 19 wickets at a sensational average of 11.63.
Shamar Joseph (WI)
The orchestrator for what was perhaps one of the most dramatic Test victories in recent memory, Joseph’s month will be long remembered for his bowling efforts in the second innings of the second Test v Australia in Brisbane. Defending a modest target of 216 for victory, Joseph unleashed a remarkable spell of fast bowling, taking seven for 68 to cue wild celebrations. This, in addition to taking the wicket of Steve Smith with his first ball in international cricket in a five-wicket-haul in Adelaide, saw him named Player of the Series and nominated for ICC Men’s Player of the Month for the very first time.
Ollie Pope (ENG)
Facing a 190-run deficit in the first India v England Test in Hyderabad, Pope came to the crease at 45 for one. The 26-year-old then dug in and produced a batting masterclass to overturn the deficit, and set a challenging total which India fell short of. A blend of innovative strokeplay and resilient defence characterised Pope’s innings in which he scored 196 in 278 balls, including 21 boundaries. The innings propelled England to a score of 420 before they bowled India out to secure a record-breaking victory.
ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for January:
Alyssa Healy (AUS)
Australia’s batting maestro once more led from the front in January, contributing heavily to her side’s ODI and T20I success against India and South Africa. Healy’s month began with a brisk 82 to secure the final ODI of the series against India, and followed this with a Player of the Series stretch in the subsequent T20I encounters. A knock of 46 in the opening T20I match against South Africa was another highlight, and Healy ended the month having scored 256 international runs during the month. Her nomination for January 2024 is the third time she has been shortlisted for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month, winning on both previous occasions (April 2021 and April 2022).
Amy Hunter (IRE)
Ireland’s talented young wicketkeeper batter has enjoyed a successful start to her international career, and is shortlisted for the first time for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month thanks to another set of fine performances with the bat. A quiet start in the ODI fixtures against Zimbabwe was followed by an explosive 101 not out in 66 balls in the first match, 77 not out from 57 balls in the second and 42 in the third, to secure a 3-0 win away from home. Her 220 runs in T20Is during the month came at a sensational strike rate of 144.73.
Beth Mooney (AUS)
Mooney once again delivered last month with a run of scores in Australia’s successful T20I series against India and South Africa. Locked at 1-1, Mooney partnered with Healy to chase down 148 in the decisive matchup against India in Mumbai. Then, back on home soil, Australia welcomed South Africa, and Mooney continued to flourish, registering scores of 72 not out and 82 in the victorious first and third encounters. During the month, Mooney scored 256 runs at an average of 64.00.
The ICC Player of the Month Voting Process:
The three nominees for either category are 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 can vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on ICC’s digital channels.
Voting Academy for ICC Player of the Month December 2023:
Afghanistan: Hameed Qayoomi and Javed Hamim; Australia: Scott Bailey and Lisa Sthalekar; Bangladesh: Mohammad Sekander Ali and Md Ariful Islam Roney; England: Elizabeth Ammon and Lydia Greenway; Ireland: Ger Siggins and Clare Shillington; India: S Gomesh and Irfan Pathan; New Zealand: Merryn Anderson and Craig Cumming; Pakistan: Sawera Pasha and Sana Mir; South Africa: Zaahier Adams and Ashwell Prince; Sri Lanka: Azzam Ameen and Farveez Maharoof; West Indies: Daren Ganga and Stacy Ann King; Zimbabwe: Daniel Nhakaniso and Grant Flower; Others: Ajit Vijaykumar and Dirk Nannes.
Lord Pistachio
At no other time was the unluckiness of the Nelson so dreaded as during a match between Australia and South Africa. The time was 11:11 and South Africa needed 111 runs to beat Australia. The date was November 11, 2011. The umpire and most of the crowd performed the David Shepherd leg raise for a minute as the scoreboard read: 11:11, 11/11/11. South Africa bested Australia by 8 wickets.
Journeyman
Rugby is also a very popular sport in South Africa and their national team, the Springboks, has performed particularly well in the international stage taking the 1995, 2007 and 2019 Rugby World Cups. There is also a fair amount of world-class Rugby players from South Africa that includes Bryan Habana, Danie Craven, Francois Pienaar, Frik du Preez, Joost van der Westhuizen, and Naas Botha. South Africa has also hosted quite a few international sports meetings like the 1996 African Cup of Nations, 2003 Cricket World Cup, as well as the 2007 World Twenty20 Championship.