Black Cap Smith ICC Player of the Month
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 21
New Zealand seam bowler Nathan Smith has been named the ICC Player of the Month for June following superb performances in a Test series in England while England..
The 28-year-old Smith played a key role in New Zealand’s 2-1 Test series win in England and won the award ahead of India captain Shubman Gill and Bangladesh all-rounder Mossadek Hossain.
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Smith finished as the leading wicket-taker with a series haul of 16 wickets that came at an average of 23.00. His standout performance was a return of six for 70 in the second innings of the first Test at Lord’s in which he finished with nine wickets.
“This is really special. It was a great tour of England for the boys, and this is pretty cool. I don’t usually play for individual awards, but it’s nice to receive this recognition and, more importantly, to have contributed to a series win," said Smith.
“Personally, it was really satisfying to contribute to the win. That’s all I want to do for New Zealand - try as hard as I can and contribute in whatever way I can.
Unfortunately, we had a few injuries during the series, so I had to step up and open the bowling. It’s something I’ve done in domestic cricket and a little bit for New Zealand before, but it was nice to shoulder the responsibility and bowl a few overs with the new ball.”
