For the first time since 2023, an Australian has won the ICC Player of the Month award.
Mitchell Starc, who played a key role with his all-round performance in Australia’s Ashes victory, received the prestigious recognition. The star pacer has won the ICC Player of the Month award for the first time. In women’s cricket, South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt was named the best for December.
The ICC announced the best male and female cricketers of the month on Thursday.
In the men’s category, Starc beat New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy and West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves. In the women’s category, Wolvaardt outperformed compatriot all-rounder Sune Luus and India’s batter Shafali Verma.
It is the first time in exactly two years that an Australian male cricketer has won the monthly award. The last Australian to receive it was also a pacer, Pat Cummins, who was named December 2023’s best.
For Wolvaardt, it is her second recognition. She had previously been named the best player in October during the Women’s ODI World Cup for her prolific batting.
In December 2025, Starc took 16 wickets in three Tests at an average of 21.25, while scoring 139 runs with the bat.
In the second Ashes Test in Brisbane, he took six wickets in the first innings, finishing with eight wickets in the match. Batting at number nine, he played a remarkable 77-run innings off 141 balls. His performance helped Australia win by eight wickets, earning him the Player of the Match and recognition as the best of the month.
In the following Test in Adelaide, he took four wickets and scored 54 off 75 balls. In Melbourne, despite losing by four wickets, he claimed two wickets in each innings.
In December, Wolvaardt shone in women’s cricket. In a home ODI series against Ireland, which South Africa won 3–0, she scored 255 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 111.84.
Her final two innings produced scores of 124 and an unbeaten 100. She was also named Player of the Series.
Earlier, in the two-match T20I series, she scored 137 runs at a strike rate of 190.27, including a century in the first match.
