NEW DELHI: Ashleigh Gardner of Australia has achieved a historic feat by becoming the first Australian cricketer to secure the ICC Player of the Month Award in back-to-back months.
For her outstanding performances in the month of July, Gardner emerged victorious in the ICC POTM award. This victory marks the fourth occasion that she has clinched this prestigious monthly accolade, surpassing fellow all-rounders Ellyse Perry and Nat Sciver-Brunt in the race for the title.
Gardner played a pivotal role in both batting and bowling during the T20I leg of the Ashes series. Although she went without any wickets in the first and last matches, she contributed with the bat, scoring 31 and 32 runs. In the second T20I, she showcased her bowling prowess by capturing two wickets.
Transitioning to the ODI series, Gardner's impact remained significant as she showcased her versatility with both bat and ball. Across all matches, she consistently picked up three wickets each while simultaneously amassing a total of 95 runs throughout the ODI segment of the tour.
This remarkable achievement underlines Gardner's all-round excellence and her pivotal role in Australia's cricketing endeavors.
"It’s a great honour to win the ICC Player of the Month for July and particularly to become the first player to win back-to-back awards," said Gardner as quoted by the ICC.
"It’s been a really hectic time over with the Women’s Ashes and the tour of Ireland and I’m really pleased with what the Australian team has achieved. From a personal perspective it's also been pleasing I’ve been able to put in some really consistent performances with bat and ball over that period," Gardner added.
Gardner further went on to say that it feels nice to get awarded for hard work and she will now eye to perform in their upcoming series against West Indies and South Africa.
"As the Ashes showed the standard of women’s cricket is continually rising and the game is throwing up a lot of challenges. So, it is really nice to be rewarded for all the hard work we put in to meet the strong oppositions we’re now facing. I’m really looking forward to the coming summer with the West Indies and South Africa touring as well as linking back up with Sydney Sixers in the WBBL," Gardner signed off.
(With ANI inputs)
