South Africa dominates! Muthusamy and Wolvaardt bag ICC’s top honours for October

Muthusamy was named the Player of the Series in Pakistan as the sides drew 1-1. The left-arm spinner grabbed 11 wickets in the first Test in Lahore that was won by Pakistan. He then top-scored for South Africa in the second innings of the Rawalpindi Test with 89 as his team won by eight wickets.

Muthusamy, who won the award ahead of spinners Noman Ali of Pakistan and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, said he was proud of his performances in the longest format of the game.

Senuran Muthusamy: “It feels great to be named the Player of the Month by the ICC, especially since it comes for performances in Test cricket, a format that every player wants to excel in.

“Playing for a side that won the ICC World Test Championship this year is a matter of great pride. I was privileged to be part of such a competitive series in Pakistan and am happy to have contributed with both ball and bat. I would like to thank my team-mates for their support and look forward to contributing for my team in the years to come.”

Wolvaardt was the leading scorer in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup aggregating 571 runs, with 470 of them coming from eight matches played in October. She struck three half-centuries and helped win the semifinal against England with an epic 169 to set up a mouth-watering final against hosts India.

Wolvaardt, who edged out India opener Smriti Mandhana and Australia all-rounder Ash Gardner for the award, said she was proud to have stood out in such a high-profile tournament.

Laura Wolvaardt: "It’s an honour to win this award following the team’s World Cup performances in India, as part of a historic event for women’s cricket. The tournament featured outstanding matches and remarkable displays, which makes this recognition especially meaningful."

"While winning the tournament would have been ideal, we take pride in our victories and the unbreakable spirit we showed, while remaining confident that an ICC World Cup title is within reach.

"I appreciate everyone’s support, and I will always strive to make you proud on the field."

Both players were crowned following a vote conducted among global fans registered at icc-cricket.com and a specialist panel comprising former international players and media representatives.

Fans can continue to vote every month for their favourite cricketers across all formats of international cricket in the ICC Player of the Month awards by registering at www.icc-cricket.com/awards.