The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the nominees for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for April. Mark Chapman from New Zealand, Prabath Jayasuriya from Sri Lanka, and Fakhar Zaman from Pakistan have been shortlisted for the prestigious award.
Chapman, who had a modest start to April, turned things around in the T20I series against Pakistan. The Kiwi batter scored 256 runs throughout the series without losing his wicket, including a scintillating 104 not out from just 57 balls in the final match, which helped New Zealand tie the five-game series.
Jayasuriya, who won the ICC Men's Player of the Month award in July 2022 for his spinning performances in Test cricket, continued his impressive form in April. The left-arm spinner took ten wickets in the first Test against Ireland, including seven for 52 in the first innings, and seven wickets across both innings in the second Test, becoming the fastest spinner to reach 50 Test wickets in just seven Tests.
Zaman had a quiet start to the T20I series against New Zealand but shone in the ODI series. The Pakistani opener scored a controlled innings of 117 from 114 balls in the series opener, helping Pakistan to a five-wicket victory. He then scored a memorable 180 not out in the second ODI, leading Pakistan to their second-highest ever successful ODI chase.
In addition, the ICC has also announced the nominees for the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for April. Naruemol Chaiwai from Thailand, Kavisha Egodage from the UAE, and Kelis Ndhlovu from Zimbabwe have been shortlisted for the award.