Noman Ali among nominees for ICC award
Noman Ali became the first-ever Pakistan spinner to claim a Test hat-trick against the West Indies at Multan and has been in the form of his life since last year. PHOTO: AFP
The nominees for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for January 2025 have been revealed, with three spinners showing stellar performances during the month. Jomel Warrican, Noman Ali, and Varun Chakravarthy will compete for the prestigious award.
Noman Ali (Pakistan):
Pakistan's Noman Ali continued his superb form, being their primary strike bowler in the series against the West Indies. He took six wickets in the first Test, conceding just 81 runs. However, it was in the second Test where Noman truly shone.
Noman became the first-ever Pakistan spinner to claim a Test hat-trick, taking six wickets in the first innings of the second Test. He followed that up with another four-wicket performance in the second innings, finishing with remarkable match figures of 10/121.
In total, Noman Ali took 16 wickets at an average of 12.62 and scored 15 runs in January, making him one of the top performers for the month.
Jomel Warrican (West Indies):
Jomel Warrican put up a career-best performance in Pakistan, helping the West Indies draw the Test series against the hosts. On the spin-friendly pitches of Multan, Warrican caused major problems for Pakistan's batters.
In the first Test, he delivered impressive bowling figures of 10/101 and added an unbeaten 31 with the bat, although the West Indies lost by 127 runs. However, Warrican bounced back strongly in the second Test, taking four wickets in the first innings and followed it up with a brilliant five-wicket haul in the second innings, bringing his match figures to 9/70.
His all-round efforts helped the West Indies secure a win in the second Test, ensuring the series ended in a draw. Warrican finished January with 85 runs at an average of 42.50 and 9 wickets at an average of 9, earning him the Player of the Series award.
Varun Chakravarthy (India):
Varun Chakravarthy continued his brilliant form after returning to India's national team in October 2024. In January, he was in exceptional form, featuring in four T20I matches against England at home.
Chakravarthy showed his skill from the start, as English batters struggled to pick his spin. In the first T20I at Eden Gardens, he impressed with figures of 3/23 and earned the Player of the Match award.
In Chennai, although he gave away 38 runs, Chakravarthy picked up the key wickets of Harry Brook and Jamie Overton. However, his standout performance came in Rajkot, where he spun through the English lineup to claim 5 wickets for just 24 runs. He followed that up with two more wickets in the fourth T20I in Pune.
Chakravarthy ended January with 12 wickets at an impressive average of 9.41 and an economy rate of 7.01, further cementing his place as one of the best bowlers in the shortest format.
Shoaib Akhtar predicts CT semi-finalists
Former test cricketer and fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has made his prediction for the semi-finalists of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
"I believe Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan will reach the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy."
"If Afghanistan's team shows maturity during the event, they could make it to the semi-finals," Shoaib said during a talk with the media in Dubai.
Shoaib Akhtar also expressed confidence in Pakistan's upcoming match against India, saying, "I'm hopeful that Pakistan will defeat India on February 23. In fact, I believe that both Pakistan and India should also meet in the final of the tournament."
"If Pakistan defeats India and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, the Green Shirts will have already won half the tournament."
Shoaib concluded by congratulating the PCB on the upgrade of the Gaddafi Stadium and the National Stadium and urged fans to support the Pakistan team, saying, "Now, let's not question the team's selection anymore."