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ICC Player of the Month nominees for September revealed
Islamabad (Sports Desk): India’s Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav are in contention for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for September along with Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett, while Smriti Mandhana of India, Sidra Amin of Pakistan and Tazmin Britts of South Africa form the shortlist for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award.Abhishek’s Player of the Series effort at the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates and spinner Yadav’s crucial strikes during the tournament have put them in the reckoning while Bennett is in the shortlist on the back of some strong T20I performances across different series.Mandhana was named Player of the Series in a home ODI series against Australia to emerge as a strong contender for the monthly award while Sidra and Brits were prolific in their ODI series in Pakistan to also come out strongly.Men’s shortlist:Abhishek Sharma (India)The left-handed opener scored 314 runs in seven matches at an average of 44.85 and an astounding strike-rate of 200 in the Asia Cup. His attacking batting was crucial in his team’s wins in the continental tournament, and he achieved the highest rating points ever in the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings when he touched 931 at the end of the Super Fours stage of the tournament.Kuldeep Yadav (India)The left-arm wrist-spinner was the leading wicket-taker in the Asia Cup with 17 scalps in seven T20Is at an average of 9.29 and an economy rate of 6.27. The highlight for him was a haul of four for 30 in the final against Pakistan and he also grabbed four wickets in a league match against the United Arab Emirates.Brian Bennett (Zimbabwe)The 21-year-old top-order batter aggregated 497 runs in nine T20Is at an average of 55.22 and an impressive strike rate of 165.66. He was the leading run-scorer in the T20I series against Sri Lanka and Namibia before registering scores of 72, 65 and 111 in his first three innings in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Africa Qualifier.Women’s shortlistSmriti Mandhana (India)The left-handed opener struck 308 runs in four ODIs during the period, aggregating 308 runs at an average of 77 and a strike rate of 135.68. The India vice-captain had scores of 58, 117 and 125 in the home ODI series against Australia, reaching the three-figure mark off just 50 deliveries in the third match, the fastest century by an India batter.Sidra Ameen (Pakistan)Sidra was the leading run-scorer in the home ODI series against South Africa with 293 in three ODIs at an astounding average of 293 and a strike rate of 82.76. Her purple patch saw her score 121 not out, 122 and 50 not out in the three matches.Tazmin Brits (South Africa)Brits was named the Player of the Series against Pakistan even though she figured in only two of those matches. She had scores of 101 and 171 in the first two matches, both of which South Africa won to take a winning lead in the series that ended with a 2-1 scoreline
Women’s World Cup: Hannah approved as replacement for Devonshire in New Zealand squad
Islamabad (Sports Desk): The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 has approved Hannah Rowe as a replacement for Flora Devonshire in the New Zealand squad.Rowe was named as a replacement after Devonshire was ruled out after sustaining an injury to her dominant handduring the team's training session at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.The Event Technical committee of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 consists of Wasim Khan (Chair, ICC General Manager - Cricket), Gaurav Saxena (ICC General Manager – Events & Corporate Communications), Abey Kuruvilla (BCCI Tournament Director), Mel Jones (Independent nominee).
International Cricket Council suspends USA Cricket’s membership
Islamabad (Sports Desk): The International Cricket Council (ICC), after a thorough review of affairs and extensive engagement with key stakeholders over the past year, today confirmed the suspension of ICC membership status of USA Cricket, with immediate effect.The decision, taken by the ICC Board during its meeting earlier, was based on USA Cricket’s repeated and continued breaches of its obligations as a ICC Member under the ICC’s Constitution. These include, but are not limited to, the failure to implement a functional governance structure, lack of progress toward achieving National Governing Body status with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and significant actions that have caused reputational damage to cricket in the United States and around the world.The suspension is an unfortunate but necessary step to protect the long-term interests of the game and the ICC’s top priority remains ensuring that the athletes and the sport itself are not impacted due to the suspension. The ICC Board has decided that USA’s national teams will retain their right to participate in ICC events, including preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28).The management and administration of USA national teams will temporarily be overseen by the ICC and/or its designated representatives to ensure continued support for the players and maintain momentum towards Olympic inclusion. This approach reflects the ICC’s firm commitment to upholding the best interests of cricketers in the USA and the sustenance of a High-performance & Player development program which will seek to elevate the stature and capabilities of players representing USA.The ICC Normalisation Committee, supported by the ICC management, will outline the steps required for the suspension on USA Cricket to lifted and its membership rights restored. These will include demonstrable and specific changes to USA Cricket’s governance structure, operations and overall status in the Cricket ecosystem. The normalization committee will also monitor USA Cricket’s progress and provide consultatory support.The ICC remains committed to supporting the growth of cricket in the United States, protect the sporting ecosystem and its constituents, namely the athletes and bolstering its march towards a more significant role on the global stage.
ICC reveals Player of the Month nominees for August
Islamabad (Sports Desk): Fast bowlers Matt Henry, Jayden Seales and Mohammed Siraj are in the running for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for August while Muneeba Ali, Orla Prendergast and Iris Zwilling form the shortlist for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award.Siraj’s burst on the final day of the Test series against England that helped India win in dramatic fashion at The Oval has put him in the reckoning even as Henry’s clinical display in a two-Test series in Zimbabwe and Seale’s superb performances in a memorable home ODI series against Pakistan put them in contention.The women’s shortlist is based on T20I performances in Europe. Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast is in the shortlist after helping win a home T20I series against Pakistan and continuing the form in subsequent T20Is, Muneeba makes it to the shortlist as she helped win the last match of that series with a sparkling century and the Netherlands’ Zwilling is there among the three after finishing with a bagful of wickets in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier.MEN’S SHORTLISTMatt Henry (New Zealand)Henry finished as the Player of the Series against Zimbabwe as New Zealand blanked the home side 2-0. The 33-year-old had match hauls of nine for 90 and seven for 56 as his team won the two Tests in Bulawayo by massive margins.Jayden Seales (West Indies)Seales grabbed 10 wickets to be named the Player of the Series in the three ODIs at home against Pakistan. He finished as the leading wicket-taker and the highlight for him was a career-best haul of six for 18 in the final match that his team won by a huge 202-run margin to claim their first series win over the opposition since 1991.Mohammed Siraj (India)Siraj’s match-winning performance at The Oval that helped draw the five-match series against England 2-2 was sensational. He grabbed three wickets on the morning of the final day as India won the match by six runs. He had hauls of four for 86 and five for 104 in the two innings, finishing with nine wickets at an average of 21.11.WOMEN’S SHORTLISTMuneeba Ali (Pakistan)Muneeba struck only the second century in a WT20I by a Pakistan batter, her 100 not out off 68 deliveries helping her team win the third match of the series against Ireland by eight wickets. The left-handed opener scored a total of 132 runs in three matches at an average of 66.00Orla Prendergast (Ireland)The 23-year-old Ireland all-rounder was named the Player of the Series in a home T20I series against Pakistan that her team won 2-1. She aggregated 144 runs and took four wickets in the series and continued her fine run in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. Her aggregate over the month was 244 runs at an average of 48.80 and a strike rate of 127.08 and a total of seven wickets.Iris Zwilling (Netherlands)Zwilling grabbed 10 wickets in six T20Is during the period which saw her finish as the joint leading wicket-taker in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. She averaged 10.70 per wicket at an economy of 4.65 and had returns included three-wicket hauls against Germany and Italy
Sikandar Raza becomes No. 1 ODI all-rounder for the first time
Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Zimbabwe’s star player Sikandar Raza has become the top-ranked all-rounder in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings for the first time in his career after a fine show in the two-match series against Sri Lanka in Harare.The 39-year-old scored 92 and 59 not out in the two matches and took one wicket in the series to overtake the Afghanistan pair of Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi, who are now placed second and third, respectively. Raza’s previous best was the second position that he attained in December 2023.Raza’s aggregate of 151 runs also lifted him nine places to 22nd position in the batting rankings, which is two places off his career-best 24th position reached in June 2023. He has also gained one spot to reach 38th position among bowlers.Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka, who topped the aggregate with 198 runs to be named the Player of the Series, has moved up seven places to 13th position while Janith Liyanage (up 13 places to 29th) of Sri Lanka and Sean Williams of Zimbabwe (up three places to 47th) are others to move up the batting rankings after the series.Scotland batter George Munsey is up three places to 34th after a match-winning 84 not out against Canada in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 while South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi has moved from 67th to 64th.The ODI bowling rankings see South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj shake off Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana to take the sole No. 1 position after a match-winning haul of four for 22 in the first ODI against England in Leeds with Jofra Archer (up six places to 19th) and Lungi Ngidi (up five places to joint-23rd) among the others to move up the bowling rankings after the match.Asitha Fernando has advanced six places to 31st while Dilshan Madushanka’s match-winning four for 62 in the first Harare ODI that included a hat-trick, has lifted him from 60th to 52nd position.The ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings see Afghanistan batters Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal make huge progress after helping beat Pakistan in a tri-series match in Sharjah with scores of 65 and 64, respectively. Zadran is up 12 places to 20th while Atal has rocketed 346 places to 127th position.Pakistan batters Hasan Nawaz (up two places to joint-31st) is among those to gain in the batting rankings while Sufiyan Muqeem (up 11 places to 22nd), Shaheen Afridi (up eight places to 26th and Mohammad Nawaz (up 15 places to 43rd) are among those to move up the bowling rankings.Raza’s upward movement may have resulted in Nabi slipping to third position in the ODI all-rounders’ list, but he has moved up one spot to second position among T20I all-rounders.
Saliya Saman banned for five years under Anti-Corruption Code
Dubai (PR): Former Sri Lankan domestic cricketer Saliya Saman has been banned from all cricket for five years after an ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found him guilty of breaching the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code.Saman was among eight people charged in September 2023 for breaching the Code.The charges relate to the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League and attempts to corrupt matches in that tournament which were disrupted by the ICC, the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (DACO) for the purposes of the ECB’s Code for the tournament.
Gill and Dunkley named ICC Players of the Month for July 2025
Islamabad (Sports Desk): India captain Shubman Gill and England batter Sophia Dunkley have been declared the ICC men’s and women’s Players of the Month for July 2025 following an elaborate process that included votes from an esteemed selection panel as well as those of fans worldwide.Gill became the first male player to win the Player of the Month award four times after a stupendous run in England saw him score 567 runs at an average of 94.50 in the three Tests played in July. His previous ICC Player of the Month awards were in January 2023, September 2023 and February 2025.The highlight for Gill during this period was his aggregate of 430 runs in the second Test in Birmingham, the second highest ever in a Test match. His scores of 269 and 161 in that Test helped level the series 1-1 and he also chipped in with a useful 103 in the second innings of the fourth Test in Manchester that helped draw the match and keep the series alive.The Indian skipper, who won the award ahead of his England counterpart Ben Stokes and South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, said he was hoping to continue his good form in the season ahead.Shubman Gill said: “It feels great to be named the ICC Player of the Month for July. This time it holds a lot more significance since it has come for my performances during my first Test series as captain. “The double ton in Birmingham is obviously something I will cherish forever and will be one of the highlights of my tour to England. The Test series against England was a learning experience for me as captain and we had some outstanding performances from both sides, which I am sure players from both sides will remember for a long time.”England batter Dunkley edged her team-mate Sophie Ecclestone and Ireland captain Gaby Lewis for the award, showing a fine run during this period in ODIs as well as T20Is. She played in all seven matches at home against India across the two formats, aggregating 126 runs in three ODIs and 144 runs at a strike-rate of 134.57 in four T20Is. Dunkley was England’s leading scorer in the T20I series and smashed a superb 92-ball 83 in the first ODI in Southampton.Dunkley said: “I am delighted to win the ICC Player of the Month award off the back of a really hard-fought series against India. We would have loved to have won the series, but I think we’ll take a lot from it moving towards the ICC Women’s World Cup. India deserved their win, and it was a great series to be a part of.”
Series win gives Prendergast big gains in ICC Women’s T20I Rankings
Dubai (PR): Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast has made notable progress in the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings after helping her team beat Pakistan 2-1 in Dublin even as several other players from either side also gained in the latest weekly update to the rankings.Prendergast, who was named the Player of the Series, finished with 144 runs and four wickets, progressing in all three lists. She made her first appearance inside the top 20 of the batting rankings after advancing eight slots to joint-19th place, thanks to her scores of 51 and 64 in the second and third matches, amassing career-best ratings points of 602.She has also entered the top 50 of the bowling rankings for the first time after taking three for 28 in the series opener that helped her team to victory by 11 runs. Her all-round performance shot her up to sixth among the all-rounders with personal-best rating points of 298.There were movements for her teammates as well. Amy Hunter climbed up one place to 29th among batters while Laura Delany jumped five slots to 50th thanks to her score of 42 runs in the second match – her first time in the top 50 with career-best rating points of 448.Ava Canning is 48th in the bowlers’ list, while Jane Maguire has moved to 50th from last week’s 54th.Pakistan may have lost the series, but individual performances were rewarded. Left-handed opener Muneeba Ali’s match-winning unbeaten century in the final match helped her advance three slots to joint-32nd in the batters’ list (personal best points of 526), while captain Fatima Sana has hopped four places up to 59th.The skipper also moved up one place to joint-39th in the bowling rankings after her haul of four for 26 in the series opener. She ended the series as the leading wicket taker with a total of six scalps.
Markram and Matthews named ICC Players of the Month for June 2025
Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): South Africa batter Aiden Markram and West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews have been announced as the winners of the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for June 2025.Markram won the men’s award ahead of team-mate Kagiso Rabada and Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka for his for Player of the Match effort in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia at Lord’s.The 30-year-old opener struck a solid 136 off 207 balls and featured in a 147-run third wicket stand with captain Temba Bavuma in a successful chase of 282. The five-wicket victory helped South Africa win an ICC Title for the first time since the Champions Trophy in 1998. Markram also picked up a wicket each in the two innings.Matthews, who has previously won the awards in November 2021, October 2023 and April 2024, edged South Africa’s Tazmin Brits and compatriot Afy Fletcher to become only the second player to win the award four times after Australia all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner.The West Indies skipper scored 104 runs in the three ODIs against South Africa, which included a half-century in the third match. She also grabbed four wickets in the series. Her fine run continued in the subsequent 2-1 T20I series win. She was named Player of the Series for her two fifties in an aggregate of 147 runs and two wickets.Markram said: "It is a privilege to receive this award. To contribute to an ICC World Test Championship win for our team and South Africa is something that means a lot to me. “Winning the final at Lord's is a historic moment for South African cricket, and it is something we will all remember forever. This victory was only possible due to the combined efforts of the entire team, with crucial contributions from KG (Kagiso Rabada) and Tembs (Temba Bavuma)."Matthews said: “It’s an honour to receive the Player of the Month award again. I’ve been pleased with my form recently, but more importantly, it’s been great to contribute to the team’s success—especially in a hard-fought T20I series against South Africa. "Recognition like this is appreciated, but my focus remains on what’s ahead. There’s a lot more I want to achieve, both personally and with this team. We’re heading in the right direction, and I’m excited about where we can go from here.”
ICC reveals Player of the Month nominees for June
Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): South Africa batter Aiden Markram and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada have been nominated for the ICC Player of the Month awards, joining Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka on the men's shortlist, while for the women’s award, the candidates include West Indies players Hayley Matthews and Afy Fletcher, along with South Africa's Tazmin Brits.Markram and Rabada were the stars of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final while Nissanka’s fine form in the two-Test series against Bangladesh helped him edge ahead of other performers. The women’s shortlist is based primarily on performances during South Africa’s tour of the West Indies.Aiden Markram (SA): The 30-year-old opening batter was the Player of the Match in the ICC WTC Final against Australia at Lord’s as South Africa won their first ICC title since the Champions Trophy in 1998. He struck a solid 136 off 207 balls and featured in a 147-run third wicket stand with captain Temba Bavuma as South Africa chased a target of 282 with five wickets in hand. Markram also chipped in with a wicket in each innings including that of Steve Smith in the first innings.Kagiso Rabada (SA): Rabada grabbed nine wickets at an average of 12.22 in the WTC Final – his figures reading five for 51 and four for 59. The formerly top-ranked Test bowler struck important blows to ensure that Australia did not get big starts - dismissing opener Usman Khawaja and number three batter Cameron Greene cheaply in both innings.Pathum Nissanka (SL): The 27-year-old opener set the platform for a huge first innings score in the drawn first Test in Galle, knocking up 187 and featuring in an important second wicket stand with Dinesh Chandimal. He then struck 158 in the second Test in Colombo as the home side defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 78 runs. Nissanka was named the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series for his aggregate of 369 runs in the two-Test WTC series.Tazmin Brits (SA): The South Africa opener had a memorable tour of the Caribbean, showing fine form in both ODIs and T20Is. She struck 184 runs at a strike rate of 87.61 in three ODIs including a 101 off 91 balls in the final match. In the subsequent T20I series, she scored 132 runs at a strike rate of 122.22 which included a 98 not out from 63 deliveries in the first match.Hayley Matthews (WI): The West Indies skipper scored 104 runs in the three ODIs against South Africa, including a half-century in the third match. She also chipped in with four wickets. She then elevated her performances in T20Is, scoring 147 runs at a strike-rate of 120.49, with two half-centuries. Matthews also grabbed two wickets. She was named the Player of the Series in the T20Is as the West Indies won 2-1.Afy Fletcher (WI): The leading wicket-taker in both the ODI and T20I series against South Africa, the 38-year-old leg-spinner finished with nine wickets in ODIs during June, which included one in a preceding series in England. Her eight wickets in the series against South Africa included a four-wicket haul in the second ODI and three in the final match. She also scored a total of 30 runs in these ODIs. In the T20Is, she claimed five wickets from three outings at an economy rate of 6.75.
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