The shortlist for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award for August 2023 is out. It includes two prominent Pakistani cricket stars and a dynamic West Indies Wicket-keeper.

Babar Azam: The two-time recipient of the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award, is aiming to clinch the prestigious prize for the third time, following his nomination for August 2023. Holding the top spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, Babar Azam continued to showcase his exceptional form from the previous month.

He registered two half-centuries and a century in August. Despite a scoreless performance in the first ODI of the three-match series against Afghanistan, Babar Azam swiftly bounced back with consecutive fifties.

In the second ODI, he played a pivotal role in a crucial 118-run partnership with Imam-ul-Haq, setting the stage for a thrilling last-over contest. Babar contributed 53 runs to the chase, well-supported by Imam’s 91 runs and the lower-order batsmen.

Pakistan managed to secure victory with one ball and one wicket to spare, with Naseem Shah proving to be a nightmare for Afghanistan with the bat once again. Babar Azam continued his stellar form with another significant 60 runs, aiding his team in reaching a commendable total of 268/8.

Pakistan’s bowlers excelled, leading to a comfortable 59-run victory and a clean sweep of the series with a 3-0 win. Babar Azam’s exceptional performance extended to the Asia Cup, where he delivered a stunning innings of 151 runs off 131 balls against Nepal in the tournament opener.

During this innings, he became the fastest player in cricket history to achieve 19 ODI centuries. Additionally, this century leveled him with Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar for the most centuries (31) across all formats for Pakistan.

 

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Only Younis Khan (41), Mohammad Yousuf (39), and Inzamam-ul-Haq (35) have more centuries to their name for Pakistan.

Shadab Khan: Pakistan’s star all-rounder, Shadab Khan, also earned a Player of the Month nomination due to his valuable contributions with both bat and ball during August. In the opening ODI against Afghanistan, he played a crucial role with a 39-run knock off 50 balls, helping Pakistan reach a respectable total of 201.

With the ball, Shadab Khan took the wicket of Abdul Rahman as Pakistan bundled Afghanistan out for just 59 runs. Continuing his impressive form, Shadab excelled in the Asia Cup opener by taking four wickets against Nepal.

This time, he displayed his spin skills and guile to dismantle Nepal’s lower-order, recording figures of 4/27.

Nicholas Pooran: In the month of August, Nicholas Pooran posed a significant challenge to the Indian cricket team as West Indies ended their six-year drought against the Men in Blue with a T20I series victory.

In the first T20I, Pooran played a measured innings, scoring 41 runs off 34 balls, which propelled West Indies to a total of 149/6. The total was enough as West Indies secured an exciting 4-run win against India.

Pooran’s composed knock was followed by an explosive innings of 67 runs off 40 balls, featuring six fours and four sixes. This innings swung the game in favor of West Indies, and despite a late collapse after his dismissal, the ninth-wicket pair managed to secure the win for their team in a tense encounter.

However, Pooran faced setbacks in the third and fourth T20Is, scoring 20 and one run, respectively, allowing India to stage a comeback in the series and force a decider. In the final match, Pooran played a pivotal role by smashing a crucial 47 runs off 35 balls as West Indies comfortably chased down a target of 166, winning by eight wickets.

With a total of 176 runs at a strike rate of 141.93, Nicholas Pooran was named the Player of the Series, finishing as the highest run-scorer. It will be interesting to see the winner of ICC August Men’s player of the month.