ICC Player of the Month Awards: Babar, Healy taste success
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month Awards for April. The awards recognize and celebrate the best performances from both men and women cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year. The awards are given after votes from fans and the ICC voting academy. We present the key details.
How did Babar perform in the month of April?
Babar Azam won the ICC Men's Player of the Month for April. In the three ODIs against South Africa, Pakistani skipper Babar registered scores of 103, 31, and 94. In the four-match T20I series, he amassed scores of 14, 50, 122, and 24. Against Zimbabwe, he got scores of 2, 42, 51, and 0 as Pakistan clinched a third successive series win in limited-overs.
Babar was excellent against the Proteas
In the ODIs against SA, Babar won two Player of the Match awards in Pakistan's series victory. He also eclipsed India's Virat Kohli as the No.1-ranked ODI batsman. Babar became just the fourth Pakistani player to hold the position. Meanwhile, his 197-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan in the third T20I against SA was the highest partnership in a T20I run chase.
Babar achieved these milestones in T20Is
On April 25, Babar became the fastest batter to score 2,000 runs in men's T20Is. He reached the milestone in just 52 innings, four fewer than Kohli. His maiden T20I century was the highest individual score ever registered by a Pakistan batsman in the format. He broke Chris Gayle's record for the highest individual score against South Africa, going past the former's 117.
Alyssa Healy was superb for the Aussies
Australia's Allysa Healy won the ICC Women's Player of the Month for April. She was the standout performer, helping her side beat New Zealand Women in the ODIs. During the clean sweep, Healy amassed 155 runs at an average of 51.66. She got scores of 65, 44, and 46 in the three-match series.
Healy achieved these feats as well in April
In the second ODI against the White Ferns, Healy became the third female player to represent Australia 200 times across formats. Healy played her 200th match for Australia Women on April 7, scoring an impressive 44 off 50 to help her side clinch a series-sealing victory. Australia's women's team made history in April, breaking the world record for the most consecutive ODI wins.
