Dubai: India pacer Mohammed Siraj was on Monday nominated for ICC’s Player of the Month Award for August for his heroics in the fifth and final Test of the England tour, along with New Zealand’s Matt Henry and West Indies’ Jayden Seales.
In a series marked by injuries to several players from both teams, Siraj stood tall and featured in all five Tests to play a decisive role with 23 wickets, the highest by any bowler in the rubber.
In the series starting in late June and culminating in early August, Siraj bowled 185.3 overs across the five Tests to help a young and inexperienced Indian team to force a 2-2 draw, without any drop in his intensity.
“Mohammed Siraj played just one match in August, but his brilliance in that outing was enough to earn him a nomination. The India right-armer was instrumental in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series against England at The Oval, where he claimed nine wickets at an average of 21.11,” the ICC said on its website.
“With Jasprit Bumrah absent, Siraj led the attack with great determination, bowling more than 46 overs across two innings, after having featured in the previous four Tests in the series as well.”
“He took four wickets in the first innings and followed it up with a stellar five-wicket haul in the second. His decisive spell in the final innings bowled India to victory and proved crucial in securing a 2-2 series draw. For his stellar effort, Siraj was named Player of the Match in the south London contest,” the governing body added.
New Zealand’s Henry was nominated for his stellar show in the Kiwis’ Test series victory in Zimbabwe, in which the right-arm pacer claimed 16 wickets.
Henry took 6/39 and 3/51 in the first Test and 5/40 and 2/16 in the second to help his side record a 2-0 win.
“Matt Henry was the standout performer in New Zealand’s 2-0 Test series win over Zimbabwe, claiming 16 wickets across two matches at an astonishing average of 9.12,” the ICC said.
Seales, meanwhile, was rewarded for playing a “pivotal role” in West Indies’ first ODI series win over Pakistan in 34 years. Seales took 10 wickets in three matches including 6/18 in the final ODI in which Pakistan were shot out for a mere 92, chasing 295.
“He had a quiet start in the opening ODI, managing only one wicket while conceding 59 as Pakistan cruised to victory. However, Seales bounced back brilliantly in the second match, striking with three wickets in seven overs, including the prized scalps of Babar Azam and Saim Ayub,” the ICC said.
“The third ODI saw Seales at his lethal best, dismantling Pakistan’s batting with a career-best 6/18 — the third-best figures by a West Indies bowler in ODI history — to seal the series in emphatic fashion,” it added.
