LONDON, CMC – Rookie West Indies left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie is one of three players nominated for the International Cricket Council men’s Player-of-the-Month for February.
The 27-year-old was named alongside England batsman Harry Brook and veteran India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, in the nominations announced yesterday by cricket’s world governing body.
In only his third Test last month, Motie snatched a record 13 for 99 to spin West Indies to an innings and four-run victory over Zimbabwe in the second and final Test in Bulawayo.
Motie’s performance earned the visitors a 1-0 series win following a draw in the opening Test.
The Guyanese figures were the best by a West Indies spinner in Tests – surpassing the legendary likes of Sonny Ramadhin, Alf Valentine, and Lance Gibbs.
Motie finished the two-Test series with 19 wickets to earn the Player-of-the-Series award and his first ever ICC Player-of-the-Month nomination.
Motie, who made his Test debut last June against Bangladesh, has picked up 19 wickets in his career at an outstanding average of 15.89.
He has taken 136 wickets from 37 first class matches at 20.41 apiece.
Brook, meanwhile, scored heavily in England’s recent Test series in New Zealand, gathering 329 runs at an average of 82, including a career-best 186 and two half-centuries.
The 24-year-old has played only six Tests.
Jadeja, 34, shone in the three-match series against Australia, picking up 21 wickets at an astonishing 13.9 runs apiece as the hosts claimed a 2-1 series win.
A left-arm spinner, Jadeja has taken 263 wickets from 63 Tests.
Australian Ashleigh Gardner, England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt and South African Laura Wolvaardt are the three players nominated for the women’s Player-of-the-Month award.
An independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world will now cast their votes to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered at icc-cricket.com/awards are invited to head online to pick their favourite stars until Sunday.
