Babar Azam, Rachael Haynes crowned ICC Players of the Month for March 2022
India Today
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and Australia’s run-machine Rachael Haynes have been named the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for March 2022.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that Pakistan captain Babar Azam, and Australia opener Rachael Haynes have been voted the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for March 2022.
Babar Azam received the award ahead of Kraigg Brathwaite (West Indies) and Pat Cummins (Australia), and also became the first player to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award on two occasions, after being crowned back in April 2021.
Azam continued his outstanding form in the ODI series, playing vital knocks in the first two games. In the first ODI, he notched up a score of 57 in Pakistan's 88-run loss before scoring a brilliant 118 to lead Pakistan to a six-wicket win in the second contest.
"Babar Azam wins this award not only because of his significant glut of runs scored during the Pakistan v Australia tour, he was able to transition success with the bat across formats, from the Test Series into ODIs," said former West Indies star and member of the voting panel Daren Ganga.
"Significantly, him being able to fulfil the burden of expectation as a captain and batsman for Pakistan being host to an Australian team visiting after 24 years is a monumental achievement."
Rachael Haynes was voted the ICC Women's Player of the Month for March 2022. Haynes’ month was just as impressive as she claimed the women’s award ahead of England spinner Sophie Ecclestone and South Africa opener Laura Wolvaardt.
Haynes' contribution at the top of the order was one of the biggest positives for Australia throughout the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 in New Zealand, which they won for a seventh time early in April.
