File photo of Chris Woakes.© AFP
England all-rounder Chris Woakes capped off a memorable Ashes performance with the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for July 2023. The Player of the Series from the Ashes, Woakes bagged the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July 2023 after conquering stiff competition from compatriot Zak Crawley and Netherlands’ star Bas de Leede. “It’s very nice to have been voted ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July. Everything we did in the Ashes was a team effort, and no individual awards would be possible without everyone else doing their job but it’s always nice to be recognised, especially when it’s a public vote,” Woakes told ICC.
“It was a great series, and I’m just very happy that it captured the imagination and attention of the public so much. It was great to have so much support and it was a hugely enjoyable series to play in,” he added.
The England all-rounder did not play in the first two Tests, and England trailed 2-0 going into the third Test in Headingley. To stay in the series, England needed the incoming players to have an immediate effect, and Woakes delivered.
Woakes took three wickets in each innings on his return to Test cricket after more than a year, including the big scalps of Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja. More crucially, he contributed a critical 32* in a thrilling chase to keep England in the series.
Woakes followed up his heroics with his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests during the fourth Test’s first innings. Unfortunately, the weather had the final say in the match, as the final day washed out and the Manchester Test ended in a draw.
Woakes capped up the series with the Man of the Match award in the last Test at The Oval. The 34-year-old scored a crucial run-a-ball 36 in the first innings before wreaking havoc with the ball again.
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