Van Schalkwyk, Jacks, Farhan nominated for ICC Player of the Month February award

New Delhi: Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan, the USA’s Shadley van Schalkwyk, and England’s Will Jacks have been shortlisted for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player of the Month award for February, following their exceptional performances in the recently concluded Men’s T20 World Cup.

Farhan emerged as the leading run-scorer at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, delivering a sensational batting display for Pakistan throughout February. The right-handed opener broke the record for most runs in a single edition of the tournament, surpassing Virat Kohli’s previous mark of 319 runs in 2014. Farhan amassed 383 runs at an impressive strike rate of 160.25, averaging 76.60.

The Pakistan batter also recorded two centuries during the tournament, becoming the first player to score multiple tons in a single Men’s T20 World Cup edition, with his hundreds coming against Namibia and Sri Lanka. His prolific run-scoring was instrumental in helping Pakistan reach the Super 8s, though they narrowly missed out on a semi-final berth.

Shadley van Schalkwyk was a key performer with the ball for the USA during their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. The right-arm pacer claimed 13 wickets, ranking among the tournament’s top wicket-takers.

Van Schalkwyk made an immediate impact, taking four wickets in the USA’s opener against co-hosts India. He repeated his 4/25 figures in the group-stage clash against Pakistan at the Wankhede. Beyond his wicket-taking, he stood out for his disciplined bowling, conceding just 7.76 runs per over.

England’s Will Jacks was a vital all-round contributor in their run to the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals. He scored 194 crucial runs at a strike rate of 173.21 and took 11 wickets at an economy of just over eight.

Jacks became the first player to win four Player of the Match awards in a single Men’s T20 World Cup edition. His standout performances in the Super 8s, including matches against co-hosts Sri Lanka and New Zealand, helped England finish at the top of Group 2.

IANS