Australia captain Pat Cummins is amongst three players to be nominated for the ICC Player of the Month award for December. Along with Cummins, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips and Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam have also been nominated.
Cummins ended 2023 in great fashion, guiding his side to a clean-sweep over Pakistan in a three-match home Test series, having won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in November.
Hosting Pakistan for an exciting Test series, Cummins made a significant impact from the opening match onwards. His dazzling performance led Australia to a thrilling victory, with the bowler claiming three wickets.
However, it was the Boxing Day Test that brought the best out of Cummins as he claimed five-wicket hauls in bth innings to complete 250 wickets in Test cricket for Australia. This feat earned him the coveted Player of the Match award, helped secure a series victory, and propelled Australia to reclaim their number one spot in Test cricket.
He went on to pick another five-wicket haul in the third and final Test in Sydney as Australia clean-sweeped Pakistan 3-0 in the Test series.
Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam has also been nominated for the award. The left-arm spinner claimed six wickets to held Bangladesh to a 150-run win over New Zealand in the first match of their series.
Despite a series loss, Taijul emerged a hero, collecting 15 wickets and earning him Player of the Series honours.
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips, known for his aggressive batting and wicketkeeping skills, displayed his exceptional all-round talent against Bangladesh. Despite the first Test defeat, his contribution of five wickets and a quick-fire 42 was noteworthy.
In the second Test, he showcased his tenacity with a fighting 87 and an unbeaten 40, aiding New Zealand in their comeback. His stellar performance earned him the Player of the Match award in the second Test, and he emerged as his team’s top run-scorer in the series.
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