Nominations for ICC Men’s Player of the Month released

• Angelo Mathews scored 344 runs in two Tests, including two hundreds.
• Mushfiqur Rahim became the first Bangladeshi player to score 5000 Test runs.
• Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando took ten wickets in the second Test.

Three Asian players have been named as finalists for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for May 2022.

Sri Lankan Angelo Mathews

During Sri Lanka’s series win against Bangladesh away from home, veteran Angelo Mathews brought all of his expertise to bear. With 344 runs in two Tests, including two hundreds, he finished as the series’ leading run-scorer.

He came agonizingly close to his second double-century in the first innings of the first Test had he not been caught out slogging when he was on 199.

Sri Lanka scored 397 as a result of his innings, but Bangladesh took the lead. The game eventually came to a halt due to a deadlock.

He scored another century in the second game and was unbeaten on 145 in the first innings.

Sri Lanka were in trouble at 164/4 after Bangladesh scored 365 in the first innings, but Mathews put up a 102-run stand with Dhananjaya de Silva and then added 199 runs with Dinesh Chandimal.

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The partnerships allowed Sri Lanka build a 141-run advantage over Bangladesh, which Bangladesh was unable to overcome.

His outstanding efforts were recognised in the most recent ICC Men’s Player Rankings update, which saw him rise six spots to No. 15 in the Test batting statistics.

Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim

Despite the fact that Mushfqur Rahim lost the series, it was a memorable one for him.

With 303 runs, he was the second-highest run scorer, and like Mathews, he had two centuries to show for his efforts. He also became the first Bangladeshi player to score 5000 Test runs in the first Test.

Bangladesh took a 68-run advantage in the first Test thanks to his 105. His second tonne of the series, on the other hand, came in more difficult conditions.

When Mushfiqur came in to bat, Bangladesh were 16/3, and the scoreboard read 24/5. Sri Lanka appeared to be on the verge of annihilating the Tigers, but he and Liton Das held the line.

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Both batted for the century and added 272 runs for the sixth wicket as Bangladesh totaled 365.

Mushfiqur’s magnificent innings of 175*, unfortunately, was in vain. He did, however, climb eight places to No. 17 in the ICC Test Batters’ rankings.

Sri Lankan Asitha Fernando

In the ICC World Test Championship series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando finished with the most wickets.

In the opening match, he took three wickets in the first innings Sri Lanka bowled.

However, in the second game, he returned with ten wickets in a match that ultimately decided the battle between the two teams.

In the early stages of Bangladesh’s collapse, Fernando took the wickets of the veteran tandem of Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque.

He finished with a four-for by taking two more wickets to help clear out the tail.

Fernando was unplayable in the second inning. Early on, he scalped Bangladesh’s openers to put them on the back foot. With a fifty each, Liton and Shakib resisted, but he quickly dispatched both set batters.

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With the wicket of Taijul Islam, he completed his maiden five-for and finished with career-best figures of 6/51, ensuring Sri Lanka’s victory.

For his ten-wicket match haul, he was rightfully awarded Player of the Match.