Shanto nominated for ICC Player of the Month award
Shanto claimed the Player of the Series award for 196 runs across the Ireland vs Bangladesh series where the tourists bagged the series 2-0.
Najmul Hossain Shanto has been nominated for the ICC Player of the Month award for his brilliant performance in the Ireland series last month. International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the latest crop of outstanding international performers for their performances in May.
The three nominees for either category are shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month.
Apart from Shanto, the Men's shortlist comprises Pakistan skipper and holder of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, Babar Azam and Ireland's Harry Tector, who continued his fine international form against Bangladesh, albeit in a losing cause.
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Shanto claimed the Player of the Series award for 196 runs across the Ireland vs Bangladesh series where the tourists bagged the series 2-0.
Sandwiched between 44 runs in the abandoned first ODI and 35 in the final match, Shanto was the principal catalyst in a memorable last-over triumph in the second fixture, scoring a brilliant 117 in 93 balls which helped them chase down an improbable 320 in Chelmsford after a slow start.
Babar Azam took the spotlight in the latter stages of the 4-1 win against New Zealand on home soil. 54 runs in the third ODI preceded his highlight of the month, a commanding 107 from 117, guiding the home side to a convincing 102-run triumph in Karachi.
If successful, Babar will become the first player to win the ICC Men's Player of the Month award on three separate occasions (April 2021 and March 2022).
Tector becomes Ireland's first nominee for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award since Paul Stirling was shortlisted back in January 2021, and his maiden nomination comes on the back of a sustained period of good form in international colours.
Despite the series against Bangladesh ending in defeat, Tector's 206 runs presented several positives for Ireland as the Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier approaches, most notably a career-best innings of 140 in the second ODI, featuring 10 sixes.
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.
