Top 3 Players Of The Month

This month with some exciting cricketing action yet again, had players how made an impact, and a one solid enough to take their teams to victory. Here is our pick of the Top 3.

Yasir Shah (Pakistan)

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Being lauded and adulated by Shane Warne, the person he has always wanted emulate speaks a great deal about this 29 year old spinner from Pakistan. Shane Warne called Yasir Shah a 'more natural spinner' than him and one who 'is moving forward to fiddle with epic records' .

He made his test debut in October 2014 and flash forward a year later he has not only cemented his place as one of the most essential players in the team especially after the suspension of Saeed Ajmal for his action but most importantly also made his way upto the 2nd spot in the ICC Test Bowler Rankings.

He makes it to the Top 3 this month for some fabulous spells that he bowled in the recent series against England.  Despite missing the first of the three match contest due to a back injury he was declared the Man of the Series for the web he spun around the English batsmen left them unanswerable. He bagged 15 wickets in the just 2 test matches and some of the wicket taking deliveries were sensational enough to attract the attention of the cricketing greats.

The fastest to take 50 wickets, with some unforgettable spells already, he has made his first-class experience count in the International arena bolstering the Pakistani line up which is on a roll currently. A self proclaimed lover of aggressive bowling and a stomach to bowl with the same intensity, line and length consistently, this man is making the Pakistan team look stronger.

Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

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If you talk of consistency and rising up to the occasion for the team always, du Plessis is one such player who has done just that in the recently concluded ODI series between South Africa and India. Captaining his country in the shortest format of the game, this power hitter is an integral part of the prodigious South African batting line up.

Apart from AB de Villiers who outshone everyone else it was de Kock and du Plessis who steered the South African batting. Faf however had something valuable to offer for his team every time he stepped out to bat, catalysing the South African batting. He began the series with a 62 in the first match which the Proteas claimed by 5 runs and followed it up with a 51 and 60 in the next two matches although the former came in a losing cause.

His willow was in great touch and a special innings seemed to be round the corner. The best innings from the bat came forth in the last match, the decider of the series which was made historic by the South African batting who put up 438 on board. In extremely tough weather conditions at the Wankhede, Mumbai, Faf applied himself and slammed a 133 in 119 balls. An absolute treat for the crowd he took the bowlers to the cleaners essaying 9 fours and 6 sixes around the park. When he started getting the crams he started with his power hitting too, to avoid rotating the strike but had to eventually retire hurt when he couldn't take anymore. However this knock laid the platform for am emphatic Proteas victory in an all important match.

Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)

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Playing in South Asian conditions, spinners are a quintessential part of any cricketing team and it was Rangana Herath, the weapon this time for the Sri Lankans in their test encounters versus West Indies. He spent the initial years as an understudy to Muralitharan. However, now after Muralitharan if it has been any other spin great to be produced by the Lankans it has been him and he brought his experience to the forth yet again and made the contests look like Herath vs West Indies.

He picked up his 23rd 5-wicket haul in the first test match at Galle, making the West Indies batsmen look completely at sea, unable to play his spin. One by one the batsmen fell in the trap spun by him and Herath ended up picking 10 of the 20 West Indian wickets who were made to bat again special credits to the 6 wickets of Herath in the first innings. The man with the golden am obscured other pacers and spinners of the Lankans making a notable contribution to another marvellous victory.

He ended the series on a high, garnering 5 crucial scalps in the next match and was awarded with the Man Of The Series title for toppling over the West Indians who went clueless as soon as the ball was delivered from his hand and ended up surrendering due to pure lack of application.