After a 16-month hiatus, Sharmin Akter made her return to international cricket in the final week of November. She played two ODIs in the series against Ireland, and her outstanding batting performances in those matches earned her a spot in the ICC’s shortlist for Player of the Month for November.
The 28-year-old batter joins South Africa’s all-rounder Nadine de Klerk and England opener Danny Watt-Hodge in the nominations. In the men’s category, India’s Jasprit Bumrah, Pakistan’s Haris Rauf, and South Africa’s Marco Jansen are also in the running.
Since returning to the team in July 2023, Sharmin has been consistent, scoring big in all three ODIs against Ireland. In the first two matches in November, she scored 96 runs from 89 balls in one and 43 runs from 63 balls in the other. In the third ODI on December 2, she scored 72 runs from 88 balls.
With an average of 69.50 and a strike rate of 91.44, Sharmin’s 139 runs in November’s two ODIs were considered among the best by the ICC. Among the other nominees, England’s Danny Watt-Hodge scored 142 runs in three T20Is against South Africa, averaging 71. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk made an all-round impact, scoring 80 runs and taking 4 wickets in the same series.
The final selection will take into account both jury votes and public votes, with fans able to cast their votes on the ICC website.
So far, only one Bangladeshi female cricketer has won the ICC Player of the Month award. In November 2023, left-arm spinner Nahida Akter claimed the honor.
