ICC announces Player of the Month nominees for April

Two in-form batters and a record-breaking spinner will vie for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award after a string of stellar performances during April. 

Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan)

Fakhar Zaman led the charge for Pakistan as they pulled off their second-highest ODI run-chase in Rawalpindi late in the month. The opener smashed an unbeaten 180 to help Pakistan chase down a target of 337 against the visiting New Zealand side to go 2-0 up in the series.

Fakhar's knock came with 17 boundaries and six massive sixes as Pakistan won with 10 balls to spare in a high-scoring contest. This was the left-hander's second ton in as many matches during April with his 117 off 114 balls helping Pakistan chase down 289 in the first game at the same venue.

Fakhar led the run-chase from the onset, only being dismissed in the 43rd over, by when Pakistan were well on their way to chasing down the winning score. He won the Player of the Match award for his efforts.

The left-hander started the month with a rapid 47 in the first T20I in Lahore against New Zealand, playing a part in the home side's thumping 88-run victory. While he didn't click in the next two T20I matches, Fakhar stormed into form in ODIs, a format he has always thrived in.

The Pakistan opener now has 3082 ODI runs at an average of 49.71 and a strike-rate of almost 95 in his 67-match career. 

Prabath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)

Prabath Jayasuriya completed 50 wickets in seven Tests to claim the record for reaching the mark in fewer matches than any other spinner in the history of the format. 

The left-arm spinner, who picked up 17 wickets in the two-match Test series against Ireland in Galle, reached the mark in the second Test match of the series when he had Paul Stirling, a centurion from the first innings, caught on the final day of the game.

Jayasuriya had begun his Test career with an impressive 12-wicket match haul on debut against Australia and now has six five-wicket hauls in seven Test matches thus far. 

He picked up a career-best haul of 7/52 in April in the first Test of the series against Ireland and then added three more in the second innings to make it his second match haul of 10 wickets or more. Despite Ireland making 492 in the first innings of the second Test match, Jayasuriya was the standout bowler, sending down 58.3 overs for his five wickets.

By reaching the landmark of 50 Test wickets in his seventh Test match, Jayasuriya usurped the record held by spinner Alf Valentine. Additionally, he joined the ranks of Vernon Philander of South Africa and Tom Richardson of England as the joint-second-fastest overall to reach this milestone. 

Mark Chapman (New Zealand)

Mark Chapman produced riveting performances in the T20I series against Pakistan, helping New Zealand come from behind to level the five-match series. Chapman smashed unbeaten knocks of 71 off 42 deliveries and 104 off 57 in the fourth and fifth T20Is respectively to finish with 290 runs in the bilateral series. 

He had top-scored for New Zealand in a massive loss in Lahore in the first game of the series, making 34 off 27 balls. The left-hander followed it up with an unbeaten 65 off 40 balls with four fours and four sixes even as New Zealand lost the second game too by 38 runs.

Chapman turned it on further in the last two games of the series, including making a maiden T20I hundred as New Zealand chased down 194 in the fifth and final game of the series to draw level. His stunning performances had seen Chapman rise 48 places in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings to move to 35th position with a career-high rating of 537 point

Women's Player of the Month nominees

Two leading Associate batters and a Zimbabwe young gun are in the running for the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for April.

Naruemol Chaiwai (Thailand)

32-year-old Chaiwai has turned into the rock of Thailand’s middle order, underlined by reliable innings across her team’s ODI series win against Zimbabwe. The right-hander struck two unbeaten half-centuries in the 3-0 series win, the first saving Thailand from a precarious position of 21/4, finishing 57* as the hosts fell to 154 all out. Thailand were able to close out in a 78-run victory, as the tourists were bowled out for just 76.

After a stumble in the second T20I, Chaiwai returned to her reliable best, making 52* in a successful chase of 113. Chaiwai was named player of the series for her efforts, also contributing with 55 runs in the three T20Is. Her 29 in the second T20I helped the side to a five-wicket win.

Kavisha Egodage (UAE)

In spite of playing in different conditions across in Africa, Kavisha Egodage has taken to the task beautifully, scoring 236 runs across eight T20Is in two different competitions. Egodage was first excellent in Uganda at the Victoria Series in Kampala, leading the tournament with 112 runs at an average of 56.

The 20-year-old began her sojourn with 44* against Tanzania, before making 38 against hosts Uganda and 30 against Rwanda, all at the Lugogo Ground. UAE then travelled to Namibia to compete in the four-team Capricorn Series, only bettered by Theertha Satish in the runs column. Making two consecutive scores of 30 to begin the competition, Egodage went on to make a half-century against Uganda, finishing off her prolific month.

Kelis Ndlovu (Zimbabwe)

While debuting for the senior team before her breakout inaugural U19 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign, 17-year-old Ndlovu has gone from strength to strength as an international cricketer in April.

Traveling to Thailand for the ODI and T20I series, Ndlovu made a strong first-up appearance in the longer format, claiming 5/22 (9) at Terdthai Cricket Club in Bangkok.

Ndlovu almost turned the tide for Zimbabwe in the second ODI, taking three wickets in quick succession as Thailand stumbled from 100/0 to 104/3. Ndlovu finished with 3/17 as Thailand fell to 217 all out, though the tourists were unable to reach the target in reply.  

Ndlovu claimed 2/19 (8) in the final ODI, with her total of nine scalps, the most across both teams for the series. The starlet took the form into the T20Is, taking a further four wickets at an economy of 7.60, with wickets in all three outings. Her 2/28 (4) helped Zimbabwe to their one win on the tour, with efforts of 1/19 and 1/29 strengthening her case for this month's accolade.