Harry Tector, a batsman, knocked over Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Bangladesh’s Najmul Hossain Shanto to win the coveted International Cricket Council (ICC) Player of the Month Award for May 2023, being the first Irish player ever to do so.
In a recently finished One-Day International (ODI) series against Bangladesh, Tector showed his toughness by scoring a career-high 140 runs off just 113 balls to help Ireland achieve a sizable total in the first of a three-match series.
The middle-order batter entered the game with his team trailing 16-2 in the seventh over. He batted at number four.
However, he had turned the match around by the time of his removal at the end of the 42nd over against Bangladesh, scoring 45 off 48 balls.
Harry Tector stated, “I’m thrilled with the Award and would want to thank those who voted for me; nevertheless, cricket is a team sport first and foremost, so the Award is more of a reflection on the performances and development of the Ireland Men’s side.
Without Heinrich Malan, Andrew Balbirnie, and the dedicated team of coaches and athletes I work with, I would not have been able to win this Award.
The young batter concluded by saying, “Thanks to the ICC, but I’m sure you’ll appreciate that this will only be a fleeting moment of reflection as we have an important Qualifier starting in a matter of days, and our attention will be fully on that over the coming weeks.
