ICC Player of the Month (June): Hasaranga, Gardner win honors
Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner won the ICC Player of the Month awards for June 2023. Hasaranga was rewarded for his exceptional bowling performances in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023. He trumped Travis Head and Sean Williams to bag this award. Meanwhile, Ashleigh Gardner was crucial in helping Australia win the one-off Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
Why does this story matter?
The ICC acknowledges brilliant performances every month in men's and women's categories internationally, and therefore, those players are nominated. Eventually, one of them is picked as the winner for that particular month. They have been handing out these monthly awards since the start of 2021. Renowned journalists and former cricketers form the voting panel. Meanwhile, the public has 10% voting rights.
Highest wicket-taker in World Cup Qualifiers
Hasaranga was exceptional for SL throughout the World Cup Qualifiers. He is one of the primary reasons why Lanka finished the tournament unscathed and even won the final against the Netherlands. Hasaranga finished the qualifiers with 22 wickets from seven matches at 12.90. His tally included a six-fer and two five-wicket hauls. He finished as the highest wicket-taker ever in the Qualifiers.
Hasaranga equaled Waqar Younis for this ODI record
Hasaranga created history when he claimed three consecutive fifers. He equaled the record of former Pakistan speedster Waqar Younis, who was the only player to achieve this feat in ODIs. Waqar claimed 5/52 against WI in 1990 followed by a couple of fifers against NZ.
Gardner's heroics helped Australia win the Ashes Test
Gardner was tremendous in the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge against England. She won the award, beating Tammy Beaumont and WI's Hayley Matthews. Gardner registered match figures of 12/165 as she claimed an eight-wicket haul in the second innings to help Australia win by 89 runs. Her exceptional bowling restricted England from chasing down the target of 268 in the fourth innings.
Gardner broke these records
Gardner has become the first Australian woman to take eight wickets in a Test innings. Rockley Wilson, Anne Palmer, and Lesley Johnston have taken seven wickets each in this regard. Moreover, Gardner is the first Australian woman with 12 wickets in a Test. She broke the record of Wilson, who took 11 wickets for 16 runs against England Women in 1958.
More feats for Gardner from the historic Test match
Overall, Gardner has registered the second-best match figures in women's Tests (12/165). Pakistan's Shaiza Khan remains the only woman with 13 wickets in a women's Test (13/226 vs West Indies Women in 2004). Gardner's 8/66 are also the second-best innings figures (women's Tests). India's Neetu David took as many wickets for 53 runs against England Women in 1995/96 in Jamshedpur.
Records made by the winners
Gardner becomes the first cricketer to win the ICC Player of the Month award multiple times in a calendar year. This is her second time in 2023 as she won the award for the month of February as well. Meanwhile, Hasaranga is the third SL cricketer to win the award. Only Angelo Mathews (May 2022) and Prabath Jayasuriya (July 2022) have won it previously.
