KEY POINTS
- Justin Greaves is nominated for his match-saving double century and all-round performance against New Zealand.
- Jacob Duffy earned his spot by taking 23 wickets in the series and breaking a national yearly-wicket record.
- Mitchell Starc is recognised for his pivotal all-round contributions in securing the Ashes for Australia.
DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled on Thursday its three nominees for the Men’s Player of the Month award for December 2025, with a list dominated by standout performers from the Test arena.
The contenders are West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves, New Zealand pace spearhead Jacob Duffy, and Australia’s veteran left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc.
Greaves and Duffy shine in New Zealand series
Two of the nominees emerged from the hard-fought Test series between New Zealand and the West Indies. Justin Greaves produced a monumental, match-saving double-century for the visitors.
His unbeaten 202 in the fourth innings of the first Test in Christchurch single-handedly secured a draw, anchoring a month where he scored 283 runs and took five crucial wickets.
His rival, Jacob Duffy, was the architect of New Zealand’s 2-0 series victory. The right-arm fast bowler terrorized the West Indies batting order, claiming a staggering 23 wickets at an average of 15.43.
His efforts not only earned him the Player of the Series award but also a slice of history, as his yearly tally of 81 international wickets surpassed the legendary Richard Hadlee’s long-standing New Zealand record of 79, set in 1985.
Starc’s Ashes heroics cement his nomination
Completing the trio is Australia’s Mitchell Starc, whose all-round prowess was central to his country’s Ashes triumph. Starc was named Player of the Match in the pivotal second Test, blasting 77 runs and taking eight wickets, including a sensational 6/75 in the first innings. He continued his dominance in the Ashes-clinching third Test in Adelaide, contributing a vital 54 runs and four wickets to secure the urn for Australia. For the month, he amassed 16 wickets and 139 runs across the three Tests.
Verdict awaits as ICC considers defining contributions
The ICC’s award panel now faces the challenging task of selecting a winner from three players who delivered career-defining performances in December.
The winner will be announced next week, with each nominee having made an undeniable case through resilience, record-breaking, and series-sealing performances on cricket’s biggest stages.
