The CMS Player of the Month

[The Professor]

A marvellous spell of form that coincides with a major One Day Trophy sees Shubman Gill get my nod. 5 ODI innings; 2 over 50, 2 over 100 and the last one a not too shabby 46 sees Gill get 406 runs in the month of February. Quietly has creeped up to his best.

[The Professor]

Left field from me but can't think of many people as worthy of it than Kamil Mishara. The 23 year old has already made his T20I debut, but must be on the verge of a Test call up after having scored two centuries in the National Super League 4-Day Tournament. The Kandy man first got 158* against Galle and then bettered it with 172 vs Colombo. All in all he has scored 406 across 6 innings.

[The Professor]

There is an argument that Mehidy Hasan Miraz could well be one of the most overperforming cricketers of the year let alone this month. He is single handedly holding together a failing Bangladesh with both bat and ball and is showing himself to have a crumb of allrounder ability in the mould of Shakib Al Hasan. In a month where there were 12 other players on my shortlist his rearguard action for Bangladesh today coupled with wicket taking that lifted him above Hayley Matthews who was the front runner before today. Can't be many players who have had a Test hundred and a fivefer in the same day.

[Durhamfootman]

not a series that I've been following

[The Professor]

Ongoing domestic cricket in England and India might catch the eye but Afghanistan's Sharafuddin Ashraf could well be one of the most consistently impactful cricketers of the month, let alone the year. He is not just contributing; he is leading from the front with both bat and ball, showing a remarkable ability to turn the tide of matches for Mah-e-Par. In a month where he has completed four First-Class matches, his all-round contributions have been nothing short of exceptional.

He is the leading wicket-taker in the competition, with an astonishing 26 wickets from 10 innings at an average of 17.50. His bowling economy is also outstanding at 2.53, showcasing his ability to both take wickets and restrict runs.

Looking at his match performances, his impact is clear. Against Hindukush on May 23rd, he picked up 1/30 and 6/60 while also scoring 40 with the bat, demonstrating his dual threat. Even more impressive was his performance against Pamir on May 17th, where he took 4/44 and a magnificent 5/95. And let's not forget his solid bowling figures of 3/37 and 3/25 against Maiwand on May 11th.

Alongside his completed matches he's also catching his eye in the ongoing match against Maiwand. He got the best figures of 2-45 in the first dig - including 2 of the Top 4. He then got the highest score with the bat with 67 and a further 2 wickets today.

[The Professor]

NB: when I nominate people I always think about sustained performance over time....so don't haul me over the (James) Coles for not picking Pant.


Dan Mousley presents a compelling case for Cricketer of the Month, showcasing his burgeoning talent as an all-rounder. Across June, his performances highlight consistent contributions with both bat and ball. Notably, he's demonstrated significant batting prowess with scores of 53 against Nottinghamahire and an impressive 68 against Northamptonshire. This was complimented by a spectacular 113 for England Lions against India A at the end of May - it finished in June so it counts. Complementing his batting, Mousley has been effective with the ball, exemplified by his 4/19 against Worcester and 2/44 against Nottinghamahire, as well as a 3/25 for Warwickshire 2nd vs Somerset 2nd XI. This consistent ability to impact games in multiple facets underscores his credentials as a promising emerging all-rounder and makes him a strong candidate for the monthly award.

[Durhamfootman]

no complaints from me. He's had a stellar T20 campaign

[Durhamfootman]

from a T20 perspective it's a straight fight between Mousley and Willey

[The Professor]

What an embarrassment of riches we had to pick from this month but I went though three stages this month. For almost all this month I thought I would be a gimme for Shubman Gill.....I then got tempted by the fruit of another and nearly succumbed to the whiles of Ravindra Jadeja. However, on looking closely at the manner in which runs have been scored, coupled with his position in the team and the position *of* his team......I'm back on the Shubman Gill trail.

[The Professor]

The decision for this month's top performer was a true challenge, given the many impressive displays. I had a shortlist of six players who all could have had a justifiable tilt at the title. Of the several contenders put forward , Jordan Cox's August record stands out as decisive. His impactful scores, especially the unbeaten innings of 86 against Wales and 58 against Trent Bridge were instrumental in securing victories. He leads the way in terms of runs scored, beating 4 former or current England internationals in the top 5. The quality and timing of his contributions show that he didn't just accumulate runs; he produced match-winning efforts that consistently shifted the momentum in his team's favor.

[The Professor]

For me it was a toss up between India's Abhishek Sharma and Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka. The Sri Lankan gets the nod for me due to the fact that without him Sri Lanka would be well and truly on their arse. Despite not scoring as many runs as Abhishek, he scored a greater proportion of his teams runs with 25% of all Sri Lankan runs in September coming off Nissanka's bat.

[The Professor]

While the ICC Women's World Cup has rightly captured the cricket world’s attention this October with thrilling semi-finals and drama, Afghanistan’s captain, Rashid Khan has performed the most consistently for me.


Rashid began the month in sensational form in the One Day International series against Bangladesh. His numbers were not just good, they were game-changing.

On October 8th, Rashid became the first Afghan bowler to take 200 wickets in ODIs, am achievement that underscores his long-term dominance in the 50-over format.

He was relentless in the three-match series against Bangladesh. In the crucial second ODI on October 11th, he delivered a stunning 5 wickets for 17 runs (5/17), a phenomenal effort that dismantled the opposition and set the tone for Afghanistan's dominant 3-0 clean sweep.

What truly sets Rashid apart is his ability to maintain elite performance when the format shifts. Khan’s ability to take three- and four-wicket hauls with astonishing economy rates, often conceding less than five runs per over, is a testament to his mystery and consistency. This includes an aggregate of 15 wickets in October across various matches!