ICC Player Of The Month: March Nominees

The International Cricket Council revealed the outstanding performers who have been nominated for the ICC Men's and Women's Player of the Month Awards for March 2023. ICC celebrates that every month on the basis of the international matches played during that month. March includes the intensifying battle to secure a spot at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup later this year, standout players from the ICC World Test Championship, and a host of bilateral showdowns in which Associate Women's teams have taken centre stage following the conclusion of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa.

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ICC Player Of The Month Nominees: March

ICC shortlisted two first-time nominees in UAE's Asif Khan – who is in brilliant form in his country's Cricket World Cup League 2 outings home and away, and New Zealand's Kane Williamson – whose brilliance helped his side secure a thrilling 2-0 series whitewash over Sri Lanka on home soil. A previous winner of the ICC Men's Player of the Month award, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan joined them. He won the award back in July 2021. His side's recent short-format successes against England and Ireland won him the third spot for March.

The contenders for the ICC Women's Player of the Month for March consist of an all-Associate Member cast. Rwanda's 19-year-old Henriette Ishimwe made her international debut at the age of 15. Since then, she has played the role of one of the team's most reliable all-rounders till now. Her performances in Nigeria Cricket Federation's Women's T20I Tournament in March earned her first nomination for the award. PNG's impressive duo Sibona Jimmy and Ravini Oa will compete with her. Their brilliance inspired their side's unbeaten run to win the Pacific Island Women's Challenge in Fiji.

ICC Men's Player of the Month Nominees for March:

Asif Khan (UAE):

Khan has scored 403 runs at an average of 57.57 for the UAE in nine One Day Internationals. His performances include scores of 72 and 82 against Nepal in Dubai and an unbeaten 101 from just 42 deliveries against the same opposition in Kirtipur with an incredible 11 sixes and four boundaries. He followed this impressive performance with another century at the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-Off tournament in Namibia where he posted 103 in 84 deliveries against the USA. Khan's contributions proved crucial, as UAE secured their qualification through the Play-Off to the final round. ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier will take place in Zimbabwe in June and July this year.

Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh):

The Bangladesh veteran enjoyed a prolific March. His all-round performances helping him sit as the number one all-rounder in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings. It has been a busy time for Shakib, with 12 international fixtures played in the period under review. In six ODIs, he hit 251 runs at an average of 50.20 and picked seven wickets at an average of 23.85. Among his six other appearances in the T20I format, he contributed 102 runs to his team's scoresheet at a strike rate of 134.21 and returned with eight wickets. These efforts contributed to famous T20I series wins against England and Ireland.

Kane Williamson (New Zealand):

The Black Caps' prolific batter was in epic form in his side's ICC World Test Championship 2-0 series victory against Sri Lanka last month. The first Test witnessed Williamson inspire his side's dramatic last-ball victory in Christchurch thanks to an unforgettable 121 not out on the final day before his mammoth 215 in Wellington. His nomination means he could be the first New Zealander to win the award since Devon Conway won following similar WTC exploits in June 2021.

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ICC Women's Player of the Month Nominees for March:

Henriette Ishimwe (Rwanda): 

Ishimwe made use of the game time and experience gained during the inaugural ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year. She became a core member of the team. She took four wickets for 4 runs against Ghana and five for six against Cameroon to wrap up her nine-wicket tournament haul. Henriette also scored 32 and 43 with the bat against the same teams. 

Sibona Jimmy (PNG):

Jimmy produced an all-round performance in the Pacific Island Women's Cricket Challenge final match against Vanuatu. She featured as both the leading run-scorer with 37 off 38 deliveries, and being the standout threat with the ball. She claimed three wickets for seven runs and helped set up her side's 100-run victory. Across the five matches Jimmy played in the tournament, she contributed a total of 127 runs at a strike rate of 118.69 and returned six wickets to earn herself a position in the Player of the Month shortlist.

Ravini Oa (PNG):

Oa bowled her way into this month's shortlist in the same tournament as Jimmy. She finished as the leading wicket-taker with 10 wickets at an eye-catching economy rate of 3.18. Demonstrated outstanding consistency with the ball throughout her five matches. Oa's bowling feats included three wickets for five runs against Samoa in her opening match, plus impressive hauls of two for 14 against Vanuatu, and two for nine against the same opposition in the final match to seal a convincing victory.

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The ICC Player of the Month Voting Process: 

The three nominees for either category are shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month. The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy allows prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters, and members of the ICC Hall of Fame to submit their votes. They submit their votes by email and hold a 90 percent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC can vote via the ICC website. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on ICC's digital channels. 

Voting Academy for ICC Player of the Month March 2023: 

Afghanistan: Hameed Qayoomi and Javed Hamim; Australia: Scott Bailey and Lisa Sthalekar; Bangladesh: Mohammad Sekander Ali and Md Ariful Islam Roney; England: Elizabeth Ammon and Lydia Greenway; Ireland: Ger Siggins and Clare Shillington; India: Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan and Irfan Pathan; New Zealand: Merryn Anderson and Craig Cumming; Pakistan: Sawera Pasha and Sana Mir; South Africa: Zaahier Adams and Ashwell Prince; Sri Lanka: Azzam Ameen and Farveez Maharoof; West Indies: Daren Ganga and Stacy Ann King; Zimbabwe: Daniel Nhakaniso and Mpumelelo Mbangwa; Others: Ajit Vijaykumar and Dirk Nannes.