Mohammed Shami Among Nominees For ICC Player Of Month For November

07.12.2023 - 14:29 sports.ndtv.com

India pacer Mohammed Shami, who ended the recently concluded ICC World Cup as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, has been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month Award for November 2023 along with Australia's batting sensation Travis Head and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell. "Two ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 champions and an Indian fast-bowling veteran have made the shortlist for the ICC Men's Player of the Month Award for November 2023," the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement.

Shami continued his golden run in the World Cup into November. He bagged 15 wickets at an average of 12.06 with an economy rate of 5.68.

Overall, he finished as the leading wicket-taker of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, with 24 wickets to his name from merely seven innings.

Among his highlight efforts this month was a stunning 5/18 against Sri Lanka at Wankhede. Already under pressure in a 358-run chase, Shami's arrival at the end of the first Powerplay spelt the end for Sri Lanka.

cricket India Cricket Team player Glenn Maxwell Mohammed Shami Australia South Africa New Zealand India Sri Lanka county Garden

India pacer Mohammed Shami, who played a big role in the team's 2021 Test win at Centurion, will be missed during the two-match Test series against South Africa due to his left heel injury. At the beginning, Shami's participation in the Test series was subject to fitness but he failed to recover in time and therefore he was not cleared by the BCCI Medical Team. While admitting that Shami will be "big miss" during the Test series against South Africa, Rohit hinted that either of Mukesh Kumar or Prasidh Krishna will be filling in for the pacer while confirming the participation of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

KL Rahul To Play As Specialist Batter? Mohammed Shami's Replacement? Two 'Big Questions' Troubling Rahul Dravid And Co Ahead Of South Africa Tests

The best combination as per conditions isn't always a team's best eleven and it will certainly be a struggle for India to find the right blend going into the opening Test against South Africa on 'Boxing Day'. At least two slots will give head coach Rahul Dravid sleepless nights. The tethering issues for India will be KL Rahul being asked to keep wickets to bolster the batting and the tricky task of choosing between Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna to replace the literally irreplaceable Mohammed Shami, who is recuperating from an ankle niggle.

Mohammed Shami's Absence Massive But India Are 65 Percent Favourites: Fanie de Villiers

Mohammed Shami's absence will certainly leave a gaping hole in India's planning but former South African pacer Fanie de Villiers believes that Rohit Sharma's men have the best chance of ending a 31-year wait for a Test series win in the Rainbow Nation. De Villiers, once a well-known exponent of the slower delivery in white ball cricket and Allan Donald's worthy new ball partner till the mid 1990s, complimented Jasprit Bumrah, Shami and Mohammed Siraj for being a pace unit that has understood the importance of line more than length in pacer-friendly conditions, unlike some of the earlier India attacks. "Indian team has arrived in South Africa with its best ever chance (to win a series)," De Villiers told PTI during an exclusive interview ahead of the Boxing Day Test starting December 26.

"We Were Not In The Mood To Eat...": Mohammed Shami Reveals How PM Narendra Modi Helped India Cope With World Cup Loss

Star pacer Mohammed Shami became the talk of the town after his heroics for Team India in the recently concluded ODI World Cup 2023. Despite missing out on the first four matches of the tournament, Shami emerged as the highest wicket-taker with a total of 24 scalps to his name. He also bagged the Player of the Tournament award for his stellar performance. Despite all this, Team India failed to lift the World Cup trophy as they lost against Australia in the summit clash.

Travis Head Wins ICC Men's Player Of Month Award For November 2023

Australian batter Travis Head, who smashed an explosive century to help Australia win their sixth ICC Cricket World Cup title, has been named as the ICC Men's Player of the Month for November 2023. Head beat tough competition from teammate Glenn Maxwell and India seamer Mohammed Shami to claim the honour. Maxwell scored a magnificent double-century against Afghanistan during the World Cup, while Shami had a brilliant run with the ball during the same tournament, becoming the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets in just seven matches, as per the ICC.

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Mohammed Shami's performance at the Cricket World Cup 2023 was a major reason behind the Indian cricket team's smooth sailing till the final. The fast bowler missed the first few matches in the Cricket World Cup but that did not stop him from finishing as the top wicket-taker at the Cricket World Cup. Mohammed Shami, who finished on top of the bowling charts with 24 wickets from seven matches in the ODI World Cup, has been India's go-to bowler in ODIs and Tests. His popularity has surged after the Cricket World Cup.