Hasan Ali, Praveen Jayawickrama in race for ICC Men's Player of the Month award

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the nominees for the Player of the Month awards for May. Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim, Hasan Ali of Pakistan, and Sri Lanka's Praveen Jayawickrama have been nominated in the men's category, while Kathryn Bryce of Scotland, and Ireland's Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul were picked in the women's category. The three players for either category were shortlisted based on their performances for their respective countries in the month of May. 

Hasan Ali, who played two Tests against Zimbabwe in the month of May, picked a total of 14 wickets, while Sri Lanka's Praveen Jayawickrama scalped 11 wickets in the one Test match that he played against Bangladesh. Jayawickrama, who was playing his debut Test against Bangladesh, picked 11 wickets at an impressive average of 16.11. In the process, Jayawickrama registered the best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan on Test debut. Meanwhile, Mushfiqur Rahim has been nominated for his match-winning knock of 125 in the first Test match against Sri Lanka last month. 

In the women's category, Kathryn Bryce of Scotland has been nominated for her all-round performance in the four T20Is that she played against Ireland last month. Bryce scored 96 runs with the bat and picked 5 wickets as well, becoming the first-ever Scottish cricketer, male or female, to feature in the top 10 of ICC Players' Rankings. Gaby Lewis of Ireland has been nominated for scoring 116 runs in 4 T20Is against Scotland, while her fellow teammate Leah Paul picked 9 wickets at an average of 4.44. Lewis was the highest run-scorer in the series against Scotland. 

Babar becomes first non-Indian to win the award

Last month, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam became the first non-Indian player to win the ICC Player of the Month award for April. Babar played three ODI matches against South Africa in the month of April and scored 228 runs at an average of 76.00, which included one century and a half-century. The 26-year-old also played seven T20I matches last month and scored a whopping 305 runs at an average of 43.57. Babar's performances in the ODI series against South Africa also helped him dethrone the Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli as the world's number one ODI batsman. 

(Image Credit: ICC/PTI/HasanAli/Insta)