Chamari Athapaththu among ICC player of the month for July

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today named the shortlists for the ICC Player of the Month awards for July, celebrating the standout players from an action-packed month of international cricket.

The ICC Men’s Player of the Month shortlist features three outstanding bowlers who grabbed the headlines across all three formats of international cricket last month.

England’s Gus Atkinson entered the Test arena in July and made an immediate impact with a stunning display of destructive pace bowling in their dominant World Test Championship series win over West Indies. Charlie Cassell of Scotland also made his first steps, this time in the ODI format, cleaning the Oman batting line-up with an inspired spell in Dundee. The line-up is completed by India’s Washington Sundar, who bowled excellently on their short-format tours of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

The ICC Women’s Player of the Month shortlist encloses a decorated trio of international icons who provided plenty of highlights during July’s contests.

Chamari Athapaththu endures her rich vein of form for Sri Lanka and celebrates another nomination thanks to her dramatic Women’s Asia Cup-winning adventures with the bat on home soil. India’s Smriti Mandhana aims to make it back-to-back Women’s Player of the Month awards after ending their Test series against South Africa with more run-scoring success and notable performances in their Women’s Asia Cup campaign, while compatriot Shafali Verma joins her as the final candidate for July’s award, after a record-breaking month at the top of the batting order.

ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for July:

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)

With a number of individual tributes under her belt in recent times, the Sri Lanka captain enjoyed another career-defining moment in July, inspiring her side to a memorable triumph in the Women’s Asia Cup on home soil.

Athapaththu hit 304 runs throughout the competition at an average of 101.33 and a strike rate of 146.85, which included a statement, unbeaten 119 against Malaysia and two crucial half-centuries in the latter stages; the first in their tense semi-final victory over Pakistan, and the second as they stunned India to claim their maiden Women’s Asia Cup title, successfully chasing a competitive 166 for victory in Dambulla.

Source: ICC