Sports Desk: Three world-class spinners — Rashid Khan, Noman Ali, and Senuran Muthusamy — have been shortlisted for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for October, following their exceptional performances across formats.
Pakistan’s Noman Ali and South Africa’s Senuran Muthusamy, both left-arm spinners, earned their nominations for their match-winning contributions in the ICC World Test Championship series in Pakistan, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, meanwhile, was recognized for his extraordinary performances in limited-overs cricket against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Rashid was at his lethal best throughout October, claiming nine wickets in five T20Is at an economy rate of 4.82. His standout spells included 4/18 against Bangladesh and 3/9 against Zimbabwe. In ODIs, he took 11 wickets in three matches against Bangladesh at an astonishing economy of 2.73, including a devastating 5/17 in the second ODI that powered Afghanistan to a 3-0 series sweep. Rashid also made handy contributions with the bat, scoring 24 runs in T20Is at a strike rate of 171.42.
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South Africa’s Senuran Muthusamy had a dream month in Test cricket, shining with both bat and ball against Pakistan. In the first Test in Lahore, he registered career-best match figures of 11/174 (6/92 and 5/82) despite his team’s defeat. In the second Test, he displayed grit with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 89, which helped South Africa to victory. Across the two Tests, he amassed 106 runs at an average of 53 and claimed 11 wickets at 18.36, earning him the Player of the Series award.
Pakistan’s Noman Ali continued his remarkable red-ball form, taking 14 wickets at an average of 23.07 in the same series. Ranked No. 3 among ICC Test bowlers, he claimed his third 10-wicket haul in the Lahore Test, with figures of 6/112 and 4/79, guiding Pakistan to a 93-run win. He added four more wickets in the second Test and contributed useful runs down the order.
With each spinner excelling in his respective format, the October shortlist reflects the resurgence of spin dominance in world cricket. The winner of the ICC Men’s Player of the Month will be announced next week.
