(Web Desk) - England seamer Gus Atkinson has been named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for July 2024 after his heroics in the West Indies Test series.
The England quick capped off a tremendous first Test series by beating stiff opposition from India all-rounder Washington Sundar and Scotland seamer Charlie Cassell to claim the honour.
“It is a real privilege to win the ICC Player of the Month! The start to my Test career has been unbelievable, and I never imagined achieving this level of success in my first series with England," Atkinson said.
“I am incredibly grateful to my teammates and the fantastic environment created by Baz (Brendon McCullum) and Stokesy (Ben Stokes).
“It's an honour to play and represent my country. I know there is a lot of hard work ahead, especially with a big series against Sri Lanka coming up. I'm excited to maintain consistency and do my best to help England succeed.”
Atkinson made his scintillating Test debut in what was James Anderson's farewell international match, bagging 12 wickets to make a fantastic first impression.
The brilliant spell included a five-for in each innings as the 26-year-old ran through the West Indies batting order to record incredible figures of 7/45 in the first innings, bundling out the visitors for just 121.
He followed up the initial heroics with yet another five-wicket haul (5/61) as England recorded an innings win by 114 runs.
For a total of 12 wickets, he was the undisputed choice for the Player of the Match award.
Atkinson continued his impressive form, taking 10 more wickets across the remaining two Tests. This included a four-wicket haul in the first innings of the final Test in Birmingham. He also contributed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 21 in the second Test at Nottingham and another 21 in the final match.