The ICC nominates players for August 2023 Player of the Month.

Five countries are represented among the contenders for the awards after a series of intense white-ball matches that took place in August. Voting among the panel and cricket fans across the world has begun. Two players from Pakistan’s recent ODI victory and the Player of the Series from the West Indies’ T20I victory over India are among the nominees for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award.

Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain, had a strong month with the bat in August as his team continued to get ready for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India. He scored significant runs to help his team win a series against Afghanistan handily and posted a three-figure total in their opening Asia Cup match. Shadab Khan was also productive at the other end of the crease, showcasing his bowling threat with wicket-taking performances in the same matches. Nicholas Pooran, the short format hero for the West Indies who led his team to a 3-2 T20I series victory over India at home, rounds out the roster.

Three first-time nominees are on the ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award shortlist: a fiery Dutch opener, a skilled Irish seamer, and a dynamic Malaysian all-rounder.

When Malaysia played in their opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier, Ainna Hamizah Hashim was a key player, contributing with important runs and grabbing crucial wickets against teams like Kuwait and Nepal. Arlene Kelly of Ireland, who destroyed the Netherlands’ batting order with a barrage of wickets in their most recent T20I series victory, is also on the shortlist. Iris Zwilling, who batted first and recorded half-centuries against Jersey and Ireland during her productive month, offered some opposition for the Dutch.

The winners, who will be announced the following week, will now be chosen by an independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans from all over the world. The voting period for fans who have registered at icc-cricket.com/awards will run through Sunday.

Babar Azam (PAK) is one of the ICC Men’s Player of the Month nominees for August.

The 2018 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will put a spotlight on team success, but Babar has recently celebrated a number of personal accomplishments, not the least of which is the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year for his efforts in 2016. After scores of 53 and 60 helped Pakistan defeat Nepal in the Asia Cup opener and a massive 151 ensured Pakistan won the 3-0 ODI series against Afghanistan, he now sets his eyes on becoming the first male cricketer to win three ICC Men’s Player of the Month Awards.

Shadab Khan(PAK)

Shadab is competing for Player of the Month for the first time after his noteworthy bat and ball performances in August helped Pakistan defeat both Afghanistan and Nepal. Just a single wicket was announced in the first two games against Afghanistan, but he found his groove in the last game, taking three for 42 to ensure the victory. Shadab, like Babar, saved his best performance for the final game of the month, kicking off their Asia Cup campaign with a stretch of four for 27 in the victory over Nepal.

Nicholas Pooran(WI)

Nicholas Pooran is another good candidate for this month’s award after scoring 176 runs in his five T20I matches against India, which helped his team win a crucial 3-2 series. Pooran led the West Indies’ comeback in the shortest format following losses in the Test and ODI matchups the weeks before with two forty-plus scores bookending a match-winning 67 in 40 balls in the second match in Guyana. Since Gudakesh Motie was nominated for Men’s Player of the Month in February 2023, Pooran’s achievements have earned him the title of Player of the Series and the islanders’ first nomination.

Ainna Hamizah Hashim (MAL) is a nominee for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for August.

The all-rounder has played a key role in Malaysia’s development in the T20I format, and as a result of her exploits both with the bat and the ball in August, she is now her nation’s first-ever nominee for Player of the Month honors. During the Malaysia Women’s Quadrangular T20I Series and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier, Hamizah Hashim not only led the league in run scoring but also contributed with crucial wickets, most notably in victories over Kuwait and Nepal. She had six wickets and 105 runs for the entire month, averaging 52.50.

Ireland’s Arlene Kelly

August was a productive month for Kelly with the ball, as he was largely responsible for the success that saw Ireland defeat the Netherlands 3-0 at Amstelveen. In the first T20I, her ten wickets included a performance as Player of the Match as a result of a spell of five wickets for 12 runs. Following three for 11 and two for 20, respectively, in the final two duels, Kelly finished the series with an astounding average of 4.30. She will try to emulate Laura Delany, who last won Ireland’s Women’s Player of the Month award in October 2021.

NED Iris Zwilling

Young Netherlands opener Zwilling, who has excelled in series against Ireland and Jersey, has been shortlisted for the Women’s Player of the Month honors, following in the footsteps of her male counterpart Bas de Leede, who was recognized in July. In her six innings over the month, Zwilling amassed 178 runs and hit half-centuries against both of her opponents while batting at the top of the order. Additionally supporting her case for the trophy are her effective bowling periods and remarkable 102 strike rate.