2024 ICC Emerging Player List：4 Nominees Introduction

The ICC Emerging Player nominees for 2024 Men’s Cricketer of the Year are out. For the first time in recent memory, there is no Indian nominee. The nominees, Gus Atkinson from England, Kamindu Mendis from Sri Lanka, Saim Ayub from Pakistan, and Shamar Joseph from West Indies cricket team, gave phenomenal performances across formats and have announced themselves to be the future of the game. So, let’s dive right in to take a deeper look at their performances.

Contents

1 2024 ICC Emerging Player Nominees
2 Who Will Be 2024 ICC Emerging Player？

2024 ICC Emerging Player Nominees

Gus Atkinson

England cricket team‘s Gus Atkinson has made quite a mark in Test cricket this year, making a place for himself in the ICC Emerging Player list. The 26-year-old pacer has taken 52 wickets in just 11 matches at an average of 22.15. His best performance came in his debut against the West Indies, where he bagged 12 wickets, including an extraordinary 7/45 in the first innings. With his sharp pace and swingable deliveries.

Atkinson has disturbed batters from around the globe, and three five-wicket hauls within this year only speak of talents that can take matches away from their competitors. Similarly, he contributed some very handy runs along with the ball, totaling up to 352 runs with a batting average of 23.46, plus a first-ever Test century against Sri Lanka at Lord’s. Gus Atkinson has taken 11 wickets in ODIs and six wickets in T20Is, while in the T20 franchise leagues, he managed to take 72 wickets in 55 matches with an economy of 8.80. Certainly, Atkinson’s all-around qualities made him an indispensable asset for England in all formats.

Kamindu Mendis

Kamindu Mendis has been a game-changer for the Sri Lanka national cricket team, especially in the longer format, justifying his place in the ICC Emerging Player shortlist. At just 25 years old, Mendis has amassed 1,049 runs this year, averaging a phenomenal 74.92 with five centuries to show for it. His unbeaten 182 against the New Zealand cricket team was a series-defining knock that established his affinity to anchor an innings.

Kamindu Mendis reached 1,000 Test runs in just his 13th inning-equalling Sir Don Bradman’s achievement. This maiden echo forage marks Mendis as a Test run-scorer with 1,110 runs at an impressive average of 74.00 across 10 matches. In first-class cricket, Kamindu Mendis boasts 18 centuries and 4,846 runs at an average rate of 63.76. With an eye toward the international game, he’s got 231 runs in just 14 ODI matches and also a reasonable average in T20s. As a somewhat part-time bowler, Mendis has claimed critical breakthroughs by taking three wickets in Test matches and 60 wickets in List A games.

Saim Ayub

Saim Ayub from Pakistan national cricket team has been a phenomenon in the 2024 season with 515 runs in nine matches at an impressive average of 64.37 in this format. His three centuries in 2024, including a match-winning 109 against South Africa, ensuring a chase, really stood out as one of his best performances propelling Pakistan to success.

Saim Ayub has contributed as an ideal all-rounder, having also taken five wickets at an economy of 4.63 in ODIs. Across T20Is, Ayub has scored a total of 498 runs in 27 matches, striking at 137.95, including a double century during his first-class career. The strong hitting from the top of the order and game perspective make him one of Pakistan’s best future talents.

Shamar Joseph

In 2024, Shamar Joseph emerged as a mainstay bowler for the West Indies, especially in the Test series. He took 29 wickets in eight matches, averaging 26.75, with his best innings coming against Australia at the Gabba, where he took 7/68 in the first innings, leading the West Indies to historic glory. With his swing and bounce with the ball, Joseph has become a potent threat in all conditions.

In his short career so far, Shamar Joseph has taken 29 wickets in eight Tests and 50 wickets in 13 first-class matches, averaging 24.68. In T20 cricket, he has 19 wickets in 20 matches, with a career-best of 3/9. Primarily a bowler, he has provided decent support to the batting squad, scoring 186 runs during Test matches, with the toughest 36 scored against England.

Who Will Be 2024 ICC Emerging Player？

The 2024 ICC Emerging Player shortlist sums up the extraordinary young talent sprouting from various places across the world. The absence of Indian players raises eyebrows; however, performances by Gus Atkinson, Kamindu Mendis, Saim Ayub, and Shamar Joseph are strong evidence that talent is a global commodity. The talents, whose performances changed the tide for their teams, are now eagerly watched by the cricketing community, all waiting for the announcement of the winner in January 2025.