A rising West Indies pace sensation joins an experienced South Africa tweaker and a Sri Lanka all-round prodigy in the ICC Men’s Player of the Month nominees for August 2024.
Dunith Wellalage (Sri Lanka)
Dunith Wellalage, the highly touted Sri Lanka all-rounder, perhaps had the most significant outing of his nascent international career against India last month.
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The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup runner-ups had already secured a 3-0 T20I series win against the Islanders and with the return of top stars like Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, India were easily the favourites to win the ODI series.
Wellalage with his 108 runs and seven scalps helped Sri Lanka overcome the India challenge, contributing at crucial stages of each game. He scored a career-best 67* and followed it up with wickets of Rohit and Shubman Gill in the first ODI that ended in a thrilling tie.
He made another crucial contribution with a fighting 39 in the second ODI that helped Sri Lanka to a winning total. He didn’t click with the bat in the third game, but went on to achieve the career-best figures of 5/27, derailing the India innings before it could take off, getting the important wickets of Kohli, Rohit, and Shreyas Iyer on the way to his five-for.
Keshav Maharaj (South Africa)
South Africa’s experienced left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj will be in contention for his second ICC Men’s Player of the Month award after a brilliant performance in the two-Test series against West Indies.
Maharaj got South Africa’s ICC World Test Championship campaign back on track by helping them win the two-game Test series 1-0. His 13 scalps over the two contests, came at a mere average of 16.07.
Maharaj collected figures of 8/164 in the first Test in Port of Spain, which ended in a draw, but picked up 5/45 in the second game including a crucial three-for in the second innings to break an important stand of the West Indies and ensuring a South African win.
He also overtook the great Hugh Tayfield in the series, to become the most successful Proteas spinner in the history of Tests.
Jayden Seales (West Indies)
Jayden Seales, the lanky Caribbean pacer, showed his value for the West Indies last month by being their leading bowler in the Test series against South Africa. His 12 scalps came in at an average of 18.08, with nine wickets coming in the second game.
Seales who took the senior pacer’s role in the absence of Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach in the second Test in Providence, got considerable movement off the wicket in both innings but especially stood out in the second assay.
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In the second innings, South Africa’s batters maximised on the slender lead by providing a solid start and looked like they were running away with the game. However, Seales was unrelenting in his career-best 6/61 and struck at regular intervals to bowl out the Proteas for a modest score.
If he goes on to win the Player of the Month award, Seales will become the third West Indies player to have achieved the honour this year, joining Shamar Joseph and Gudakesh Motie.
