The International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the nominees for June’s Player of the Month on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, Australia Travis Head and Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams are among the nominees for the men’s category.
Hasaranga claimed 26 wickets during the month at an average of just 10.00. He also became the first spinner to take three consecutive five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket during the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
Head was named Player of the Match after his brilliant 163 in the first innings of Australia’s World Test Championship Final win against India. He also scored a valuable fifty during the first Ashes Test.
Williams scored 532 runs at an average of 133 in five matches of the World Cup Qualifier, which included three centuries and a impressive strike-rate of 148.60.
Meanwhile, England’s Tammy Beaumont, Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner and West Indies’ Hayley Matthews have been included in the women’s category.
Beaumont became the first English woman to register a Test double hundred after her record-breaking innings of 208 in the sole Ashes Test in Nottingham.
Four wickets for 99 in the first innings and match-winning figures of eight for 66 in the second in the Test match against England has ensured that Gardner is once again in the race to win the award.
The final nominee, Matthews, scored a century and claimed three wickets in West Indies’ win over Ireland in the first ODI of the series.
“The three nominees for either category are shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month,” the ICC stated in a press release.
“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.
“The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 per cent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC can vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on ICC’s digital channels.”