Pak Captain Babar Azam and Alyssa Healy named for ICC Men's Players of the Month for April 2021

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for April 2021 for his stellar performances across all formats in the recently concluded series against South Africa. Babar's match-winning 82-ball 94 in the third ODI against South Africa helped him gain 13 rating points as he toppled his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli to occupy the top spot in ODI rankings for batsmen. The 26-year-old also hit 104-ball 103 to help his team chase down 274 in the first ODI. He also contributed 122 from 59 balls in Pakistan’s successful chase in the third match of a T20I series against the Proteas.

Commenting on Azam’s performance in April, Ramiz Raja representing the ICC Voting Academy said, “The world bats in two ways in white ball cricket. One way is to



destroy attacks with muscle and force and then there is the Babar Azam way, like conducting a batting symphony with punch, panache and flair, and he deserves to win this award.”

In the women's category, Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Alyssa Healy was declared the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April 2021. Healy’s consistency with the bat has been a significant part of Australia’s dominance, showing her class in all conditions and against all types of bowling in the recent series against New Zealand. Healy played 3 ODIs versus New Zealand, scoring 155 runs at an average of 51.66 and a strike rate of 98.72. The 31-year-old's efforts saw her finish as the leading run-scorer in Australia’s series victory over New Zealand that extended their record-winning streak to 24 ODIs.