The ICC has announced the names of nominees for the August 2024 ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award. This list includes a rising West Indies pacer Jayden Seales, an experienced South African tweaker Keshav Maharaj, and a Sri Lanka all-round prodigy Dunith Wellalage.
Jayden Seales’ Nomination
The lanky Caribbean pacer Jayden Seales proved his worth last month when he led his team in bowling during the Test series against South Africa. Nine of his 12 wickets came in the second game, giving him an average of 18.08. Seales, who filled in for Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach as the senior pacer in the second Test in Providence, had a lot of movement off the wicket in both innings, but he was particularly impressive during the second inning.
The South African batsmen capitalized on their slim lead in the second inning by getting off to a strong start and appeared to be winning the match easily. Seales, though, remained unwavering in his career-best 6/61 and struck frequently to bowl out the Proteas on a modest total. If Seales won, he would join Shamar Joseph and Gudakesh Motie as the third West Indies player to have won the Player of the Month title this year.
Keshav Maharaj’s Nomination
Keshav Maharaj, a seasoned left-arm spinner from South Africa, is expected to compete for his second ICC Men’s Player of the Month award following an outstanding showing in the two-test series against the West Indies. By assisting South Africa in winning the two-game Test series 1-0, Maharaj helped them get their ICC World Test Championship campaign back on track. Over the course of the two matches, he claimed 13 wickets at an average of just 16.07.
Maharaj produced a bowling figure of 8/164 in the first Test match in Port of Spain, but that match resulted in a draw. However, he came again with a brilliant bowling performance of 5/45 in the second match, which included a vital three-wick haul in the second innings to halt the West Indies’ significant stand and secure a South African victory. In the series, he also passed the legendary Hugh Tayfield to become the most successful Proteas spinner in South Africa’s Test cricket history.
Dunith Wellalage’s Nomination
Dunith Wellalage, the highly regarded Sri Lanka all-rounder, may have delivered the most meaningful performance of his young international career against India last month. The winners of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 defeated the Islanders 3-0 in the T20 International series, and with the return of major players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India were the clear favorites to win the One-Day International series too.
Wellalage’s 108 runs and seven wickets helped Sri Lanka overcome India’s challenge, delivering at critical moments in each game. He scored a career-best 67* and took the wickets of Rohit and Shubman Gill in the first ODI, which finished in a thrilling tie.
He made another key contribution in the second ODI, scoring a battling 39 to help Sri Lanka win. He didn’t click with the bat in the third game but went on to post career-best figures of 5/27, derailing India’s innings before it could get started, taking vital wickets of Kohli, Rohit, and Shreyas Iyer on his way to his five-for.
