The International Cricket Council (ICC) on January 8 revealed the list of contenders for the ICC Men's Player of the Month awards for December 2023.
A marvellous fast bowler-captain, a splendid spinner, and an outstanding all-rounder feature in the shortlist for the ICC Men's Player of the Month for December. ~ICC
Two terrific bowlers and one talented all-rounder have been nominated for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for December 2023 🏏#POTM | Find out 👇
— ICC (@ICC) January 8, 2024
Australian captain Pat Cummins is amongst three players to be nominated for the ICC Player of the Month award for December. Along with Cummins, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips, and Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam have also been nominated.
After winning the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in November, Cummins ended 2023 on a high note by leading his team to a comfortable victory over Pakistan in the three-match Test series at home.
Cummins hosted a thrilling Test series for Pakistan and left a clear impression from the opening match. His brilliant performance led Australia to a thrilling victory, with the bowler taking his 3 wickets. However, it was the Boxing Day Test that brought out the best in Cummins, where he took a fifer in both innings, taking his 250th wicket in Test cricket for Australia.
This performance earned him the coveted Player of the Match award and helped Australia win the series and regain the top spot in Test cricket. In the third and final Test in Sydney, he scored another 5 wickets as Australia defeated Pakistan 3-0 in the Test series.
Taijul Islam from Bangladesh was also nominated for this award. The left-arm spinner took 6 wickets and helped Bangladesh to a 150-run victory against New Zealand in the series opener.
Despite losing his series, Taijul took his 15 wickets and was named player of the series, emerging as a young lethal spinner.
New Zealand's Glenn Phillips, known for his aggressive batting and wicketkeeping skills, displayed his outstanding all-round talent against Bangladesh. Despite the loss in his first Test, his contribution with 5 wickets and a quick score of 42 was notable.
In his second Test, he proved his tenacity with a record of 87 and an unbeaten 40, contributing to New Zealand's comeback. His outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award in the second Test and made him the team's top scorer in the series.