The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the three nominees for the Men’s Cricket Of the Year 2024 awards. The year will be recognized by some of the special performances from the youngsters who have started to take on the world stage across formats.
The list of the ICC awards starts with the pace bowling all-rounder from England, Gus Atkinson, who finished with 52 wickets in 11 games at an average of 22.15. Having debuted at Lords during the last international match for James Anderson in July against West Indies, Gus hardly took time to establish himself before the world stage.
The right-handed batter closed the home season against the Maroons and Sri Lanka with 34 wickets in six Tests, besides seizing 12 dismissals in three matches in his first series in New Zealand. The bonus was his batting with a 101-ball ton at Lord’s. His most memorable performance of the year was his overall figures of 12/106, the fourth-best bowling figures by a debutant in men’s Tests.
The second player in the ICC awards list is the young left-handed spin all-rounder from Sri Lanka, Kamindu Mendis, who became the third fastest to score 1000+ runs in Men’s Tests, equaling Sir Don Bradman’s 13-innings mark to reach the milestone.
He finished the year with 1451 runs in 32 games at an average of 50. The middle-order batter had an impressive turnaround in the longest format with 1049 runs in nine games at an average of 74.92, including five centuries and three half-centuries.
He also finished as the leading run-getter for the side in their trip to England, where he thumped 267 runs in three games. His most memorable performance was at home against New Zealand, when he drilled an unbeaten knock of 182 runs, which helped them claim the series with a 2-0 clean sweep.
Shamar Joseph and Saim Ayub in the ICC awards for the ongoing year 2024
Saim Ayub is the third member of the list for ICC awards, as the Pakistan opener took the world with his aggression, especially against South Africa in the Rainbow Nation a few weeks ago. He ended the year with 515 runs in nine ODIs at an average of 64.37. The new flamboyant opening batter for the Green Brigade had a very consistent performance across all three formats.
Ayub will be very crucial for their defense in the ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan during the third week of February. He seized the moment with two centuries in three games to grab the Player of the Series award with a 3-0 clean sweep, Protea’s first at home.
There have been many memorable performances for the batter in the year, but he picked up the wicket of Aiden Markram and then celebrated an 82-run knock during their chase of 240 runs, having found his side to 60/4 at one stage. The composed knock of 109 runs in 119 balls, shouldering with ten boundaries and three sixes, also put them ahead in the series.
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The last player in the ICC list of the awards was Shamar Joseph from West Indies, who ended with 29 scalps in eight Tests at 26.75. It started with his 13 wickets down under, with a couple of fifers. His bowling figure of 7/68 at the Gabba during the second red-ball clash helped them beat Australia in 1989 at that ground.
It was also the first victory in Australia for the side since 1997. He also collected 12 wickets in three outings against Bangladesh and SA to find himself in the ICC awards.