Dubai, 27/1 (AO Bureau): India’s veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant have been nominated for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Best Player of the Month award. Apart from Ashwin and Pant, Mohammed Siraj and T Natarajan of India are also in the race for the award. All of them played a key role in the historic victory in the Test series in Australia. The ICC said that this award will be given to female and male cricketers who have excelled in every format throughout the year.
For the month of January, England captain Joe Root, Australian batsman Steve Smith, Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz, South Africa’s Marijane Kaap, and Nadine de Clerc, and Pakistan’s Nida Dar are also in the race. The ICC said in a release that fans have been invited to vote online every month. Apart from the online vote, an independent ICC voting academy has also been formed, which will include former players, broadcasters, and journalists.