Wanindu Hasaranga, Ashleigh Gardner bag ICC Player of the Month awards for June 2023

Wanindu Hasaranga and Ashleigh Gardner bagged the ICC Player of the Month award for June 2023 in Men and Women's categories respectively.

The leg-spin bowling all-rounder claimed 22 wickets in seven matches at the World Cup Qualifiers. He averaged 12.90 per wicket, and recorded his career-best figures of 6 for 24 against the UAE. He played a key role in Sri Lanka's triumph in the qualification event in Zimbabwe.

Hasaranga became only the second bowler after Waqar Younis to claim three five-wicket hauls in consecutive matches in ODIs.

Speaking about winning ICC Men's Player of the Month for June, Hasaranga, as quoted by the official website of ICC, said:

“I am extremely happy with this award, and it comes at an important moment for Sri Lanka Cricket, after we made it to the Cricket World Cup in India. I am privileged and honoured to have been chosen as the ICC Men’s Player of the Month."

Ashleigh Gardner thanks voters for ICC Women's Player of the Month award for June

Ashleigh Gardner picked up 12 wickets in the one-off Test against England at Trent Bridge. The off-spinner recorded the second-best bowling figures among women in Test cricket history(12/165). Her returns of 8/66 in the second innings helped Australia thump their Women's Ashes rivals by 89 runs.

Garner also added 40 runs with the bat in the first innings, where she was involved in a 77-run stand with centurion Annabel Sutherland (137*).

While expressing her gratitude for bagging the Women's Player of the Month award, Gardner said:

"Thank you to everyone who voted me the ICC Women’s Player of the Month. To win an Ashes Test match at Trent Bridge was a special moment for our team and I’m happy I was able to contribute towards the win."

She continued:

"Winning a Test match overseas is one of the biggest challenges in cricket, it’s certainly a game that we will remember for a long time to come."

Australia's Travis Head and Zimbabwe opener Sean Williams were the other two award nominees in the men's category.

Meanwhile, England's Tammy Beaumont and West Indies captain Hayley Matthews were the other nominees alongside Gardner.