India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was nominated for ICC Player of the Month for the second time in succession after continued spells of destructive bowling in India’s efforts in the enthralling Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. The ICC unveiled the shortlist in contention for the Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for December 2024 on Tuesday.
The world’s number-one ranked Test bowler ended the year as strongly as he performed through it, with 22 wickets during his three Test outings in December. With Australia growing in confidence during the series, Bumrah was the primary resisting force, starring in spells of four for 61 in Adelaide, six for 76 in Brisbane, and in the nine-wicket performance in Melbourne, which saw him reach the highest rating points tally by any Indian bowler in history. Bumrah will be hoping to win his second Player of the Month crown, and elsewhere, claim the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year in 2024.
Victorious Australia skipper Pat Cummins also earned his way onto the shortlist following decisive bowling spells, as Australia edged ahead with wins in Adelaide and Melbourne in December. Completing the lineup is South Africa’s Dane Paterson, whose 13 wickets across two Tests helped South Africa become the first team to qualify for the WTC Final at Lord’s in June.
Australia’s captain inspired a memorable fightback from the 1-0 series deficit with stirring performances in December’s Tests that featured 144 runs and 17 wickets at 17.64. After the disappointment of Perth, last year’s ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year ripped through the Indian batting lineup in the second innings in Adelaide, taking five for 57 to secure a ten-wicket victory from which they prospered. Arguably his highlight came in Melbourne, where, after his first innings 49, he helped his side recover from 91 for six with valuable lower order runs (41) before removing India’s top three batters as Australia won by 184 runs and took the upper hand in the thrilling series.
The South African seamer is nominated for the first time for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award, and does so after 13 wickets on a successful return to the Proteas Test side. Recalled for the second Test against Sri Lanka in Gqeberha, Paterson immediately repaid the faith with a Player of the Match performance, claiming his first Test five-for with the wickets of Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis and Lahiru Kumara in one over in his first innings return of five for 71. The spell proved crucial in the 109-run win and Paterson backed it up with more heroics with a probing five for 61 in the nail-biting victory over Pakistan that saw South Africa seal their place at Lord’s in what will be their first ICC World Test Championship Final.
Smriti Mandhana nominated among women
Australia, South Africa and India are also represented among the contenders for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award.
Talismanic Indian batter Smriti Mandhana scored heavily during December, notching notable scores in Australia and against the West Indies on home soil. Nonkululeko Mlaba is nominated for the first time after historic wicket-taking feats in South Africa’s Test against England at Bloemfontein. Australia’s all-round sensation Annabel Sutherland is the final name on the shortlist after shining with the bat and ball during the month, hitting back-to-back centuries against India and New Zealand alongside valuable wickets.
