Harry Brook wins ICC Men's Player of the Month award for Dec 2022

NEW DELHI: England batter Harry Brook on Tuesday claimed his maiden ICC Men's Player of the Month award thanks to a blistering run of scores in December 2022 which helped the Ben Stokes-led side claim a historic Test series victory in Pakistan.

Brook, who also fetched a deal worth INR 13.25 crore with Sunrisers Hyderabad during IPL 2023 mini player auction, was largely unstoppable during England's triumphant Test return to Pakistan, scoring centuries in each match as the tourists sealed a 3-0 victory.

The 23-year-old got the honour ahead of Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Australia's left-handed batter Travis Head. Despite having played just one Test match before arriving in Pakistan, Brook lit up the series with his aggressive strokeplay and firepower, seamlessly integrating into England's attacking style of play in the longer format.

"It is an honour to have won the ICC Player of the Month for December. To win a Test series 3-0 in Pakistan was an incredible achievement and contributing with the bat in my first Test tour with England was a dream come true."

"I have to thank my teammates for helping me settle into the environment seamlessly. It is a great team to play in, where we enjoy each other's company and having fun. Hopefully, our form continues as we start the new year aiming to continue winning series and making a difference in the Test arena," said Brook on receiving the honour.

He started the series in Rawalpindi in emphatic fashion, hitting 19 fours and five sixes on his way to a blistering 153 in the first innings, before another quickfire 87 in the second innings ensured Pakistan fell short on a dramatic final day and gave England a famous victory.

This set the tone for two further impressive centuries -- 108 in Multan and 111 in Karachi. Brook's explosive batting style was a driving force behind him breaking the record for most runs by an English batter in a Test series in Pakistan - a record previously held by David Gower. Brook was the deserving choice for the Player of the Series after amassing 468 runs at an average of 93.60.

"Brook's three hundreds against Pakistan was something quite special. It really was a heralding of his arrival at the top level and the records he broke bear that out. This too in a team with seasoned superstar international players. His star is set to shine brightly and the cricket world will no doubt enjoy watching him," said Mpumelelo Mbangwa, former Zimbabwe cricketer and ICC Player of the Month voting panel member.