Head, Williams, Hasaranga in race for ICC Player of the Month for June
Jul 05, 2023
Dubai [UAE], July 5 : Australia's breakout star Travis Head, Zimbabwe's experienced batter Sean Williams and Sri Lanka's ace spin all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga are the nominees for the ICC Men's Player of the Month June award after their successful performances.
Last month during the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against India, Travis Head produced a match-winning century in the first innings to lead his Australia towards their maiden WTC title.
Head entered the crease with Australia stuck precariously at 76/3, before producing a knock for the ages of 163(174) to help put his team to lift the title.
If his World Test Championship heroics weren't enough, Head then went on to showcase his class with an excellent half-century in the opening Test against England at Edgbaston as Australia made a winning start to the ongoing Ashes series.
The second player who is in contention for the award is Zimbabwe's veteran batter Sean Williams who had a month to remember during June as he struck three centuries at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament.
The right-hander started the tournament on a strong note with an unbeaten 102* against Nepal and then managed scores of 91 and 23 in matches that followed against the Netherlands and West Indies respectively.
But Williams still hadn't showcased his true potential as he reached triple figures in consecutive matches - 174 against the USA and 142 versus Oman.
It was a month to remember for Williams, who was a shining light for Zimbabwe even as they fell short of earning a spot in the 50-over World Cup.
Hasaranga is another strong contender to achieve the award as he created history in June by becoming just the second bowler behind Pakistan great Waqar Younis to claim three consecutive five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket.
Hasaranga completed the feat during the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe. The right-arm spinner has a total of 20 wickets to be the leading wicket-taker in the competition.
The form of Hasaranga over the last month in Zimbabwe has helped Sri Lanka to earn a place at the 50-over World Cup at the end of the year in India. The 25-year-old is likely to be a key player for the island nation at the 10-team tournament.
