The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced that they have shortlisted Pakistan’s star pacer Haris Rauf, top India seamer Jasprit Bumrah and South Africa all-rounder Marco Jansen for the Men’s Player of the Month nominees for November, according to ICC.
“Three standout pacers, each crucial to their team’s triumphs, have earned nominations for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for November 2024,” ICC stated in a statement.
Rauf played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s historic ODI series win in Australia – their first victory in 22 years. The right-arm quick kicked off the series with a fiery three-wicket haul in Melbourne. However, it was in the second ODI where the 31-year-old truly shone, claiming a crucial five-wicket haul to level the series.
He capped off the final match with two more dismissals, finishing the series as the top wicket-taker with 10 scalps at an economy of just five, steering Pakistan to a historic 2-1 series win.
Rauf continued his form in the subsequent T20I series, bagging five wickets, including an impressive four-fer in the second T20I. He rounded off the month with three more wickets in as many ODIs against Zimbabwe, amassing 18 dismissals across formats in November.
Meanwhile, India’s stand-in captain in the opening Border-Gavaskar series Test, Bumrah reaffirmed his reputation as one of the greats of the games. His stellar eight-wicket haul in Perth (5/30 and 3/42) at an impressive average of nine, spearheaded India’s 295-run win in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
After India was bundled out for 150, Bumrah wreaked havoc on Australia’s top order, claiming three wickets in the first seven overs and finishing with 5/30 to restrict the hosts to 104.
In the fourth innings, defending a daunting total of 534, he struck early and added three more scalps to seal a dominant victory for India. His stunning spells across both innings earned him the Player of the Match award.
On the other hand, Marco Jansen showcased his all-round brilliance across all formats in November.
In the T20I series against India, Jansen not only contributed with the ball, picking up a wicket in each of the first three matches but also piled on runs with the bat – taking the spotlight with a swashbuckling 17-ball-54 in the third T20I and an unbeaten 29 in the fourth. Despite his efforts, South Africa fell short, losing the series 3-1.
Jansen’s most notable performance came in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban. He dismantled the visitors with career-best match figures of 11/86.
His devastating seven-wicket haul in the first innings helped bowl out Sri Lanka for just 42 – the second-lowest total in Tests in the 21st century. He followed it up with four more dismissals in the second innings, propelling South Africa to a commanding 233-run victory. (ANI)
