Nominees unveiled for ICC’s Men's Emerging Cricketer of The Year

We recall their exploits from the year gone by.

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Gus Atkinson (England)

52 wickets from 11 matches, averaging 22.15

The year that was

Arriving on the Test arena in what was James Anderson’s last match in July, Atkinson took little time to establish his place as England’s new front-line bowler in the longest format.

Having got off to the mark with a seven-wicket haul in his first outing with the red-ball for England, Atkinson has claimed 52 dismissals from 11 Tests this year. Closing the home season with 34 wickets from three Tests against both the West Indies and Sri Lanka, Atkinson was also handy away from home.

The 26-year-old seized 12 dismissals from three matches as England clinched their first Test series win in New Zealand since 2008 in December.

Atkinson also displayed his batting nous as he fashioned a 101-ball Test ton against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.

Memorable performance

Taking centre-stage on his Test debut at Lord’s, Atkinson made an incredible first impression as he ran through the West Indies batting line-up, registering figures of 7/45 in the first innings - his career-best so far.

Atkinson followed it up with an impressive five-wicket haul in the second innings and was named Player of the Match as England wrapped up the game with an innings-and-a-114-run win.

His overall bowling figures (12/106) are the fourth-best bowling figures by a debutant in men’s Tests.

Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka)

1451 runs from 32 matches at an average of 50.03

The year that was

Third-fastest to scoring 1000 runs in men’s Tests - equalling Sir Don Bradman’s 13-innings mark to reach the milestone, Mendis emerged as the new face of Sri Lanka’s batting line-up in 2024.

The middle-order batter was particularly impressive in the longest format of the game, piling on 1049 runs from nine Tests – at a staggering average of 74.92. This included five centuries and three fifties.

Mendis also finished as Sri Lanka’s leading run-getter on the tour of England, where he notched 267 runs from three Tests, and scored a vital half-century in Sri Lanka’s first Test win in England in a decade.

Memorable performance

In a 2-0 home series triumph against New Zealand which gave Sri Lanka a push in the race for the ICC World Test Championship Final, Mendis produced his career-best score.

An unbeaten 182 against the Black Caps in the second Test saw him lay the foundation for a 2-0 series sweep. The innings constructed over 250 deliveries, laced with 16 boundaries and four maximums, won him the Player of the Match award.

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Saim Ayub (Pakistan)

515 runs from nine ODIs, averaging 64.37

The year that was

In Ayub, Pakistan found a new flamboyant southpaw at the top of their batting order. While Ayub was a consistent feature across all three formats, many of his best performances in 2024 came in ODIs.

As Pakistan won multiple away series in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa to prime themselves for the ICC Champions Trophy defence, Ayub went big as an opener.

In South Africa, the left-hander sizzled with two tons from the three games and finished as the Player of the Series in a 3-0 clean sweep - South Africa’s first at home.

Ayub was also impressive in a low-scoring affair in Australia, that saw Pakistan edge past the hosts to clinch their first ODI series triumph Down Under in 22 years.

The 22-year-old also provided Pakistan a handy option with the ball, claiming five wickets and boasting an economy rate of 4.63.

Memorable performance

Having claimed the all-important wicket of Aiden Markram with the ball, Ayub helped orchestrate one of the most impressive wins for Pakistan in the calendar year.

Chasing 240 against a strong Proteas pace attack in Paarl, Ayub stood tall with wickets falling at regular intervals at the other end. With Pakistan teetering at 60/4, Ayub combined alongside Salman Agha (82) for a game-changing stand.

A 109 runs off 119 deliveries - his second-best ODI score - composed of 10 fours and three sixes put Pakistan on the path to a dominant series win.

Shamar Joseph (West Indies)

29 wickets from eight Tests, average of 26.75

The year that was

Having made his debut on the tour of Australia, Joseph took no time to become a household name for the West Indies.

It started with a spectacular display Down Under that helped West Indies win their first Test match in Australia since 1997. Playing his first Test series, Joseph put forth an incredible shift with the ball, claiming 13 wickets from two Tests, including two five-wicket hauls.

Later in the year, Joseph was clinical in the home series against Bangladesh and South Africa, finishing with 12 wickets from three outings.

Memorable performance

As West Indies became only the second team to beat Australia at the Gabba since 1989, Joseph etched his name in the history books with a spell to remember.

Having sustained a nasty blow while batting on the penultimate day of the Test match, Joseph returned the next day and ran riot with the pink ball.

He finished with bowling figures of 7/68 as the Windies inched past Australia by eight runs in a thrilling contest that levelled the series 1-1. Joseph was named as the player of the series.

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