By NajamSports Team | 6 November 2026
The October 2026 shortlist: Marco Jansen of South Africa, Pakistan's Arafat Minhas (illustration) and West Indies captain Shai Hope. Photos: Wikimedia Commons.
The ICC has announced its Men's Player of the Month nominees for October 2026, and for Pakistan fans there is a name on the list that makes this one special. Arafat Minhas, our 21-year-old left-arm spinning all-rounder, has been shortlisted alongside South Africa's Marco Jansen and West Indies captain Shai Hope. Three players, three completely different kinds of months — and, remarkably, not one of them has ever won this award before. Someone's first trophy is coming.
Marco Jansen — The Test Giant
Start with the favourite. Jansen did not just have a good month against Australia — he owned the series. Across the three Tests he scored 198 runs and took 13 wickets, and his performance in the second Test was the kind all-rounders dream about: 85 runs with the bat, then 5/33 and 1/34 with the ball. By the end of it, he had climbed to the top of the ICC Men's Test all-rounder rankings — the first South African to sit there since Vernon Philander in August 2014.
I covered that series closely, including South Africa's 176-run win at Newlands that sealed the series 2-1, and Jansen was the thread running through all of it. When a man beats Australia with both bat and ball and takes the world No. 1 all-rounder spot in the same month, the nomination writes itself.
Arafat Minhas — Pakistan's New All-Rounder
Illustration: Arafat Minhas in Pakistan colours.
Now the name that matters most to us. Minhas was named Player of the Series in Pakistan's home tri-series, and the numbers show why: 149 runs at a strike rate of 119.20 and 9 wickets at an economy of just 5.13. His signature match came against England in Rawalpindi, where he made 59 and then ripped out 6 for 40 — a performance I still think about, because Pakistan have been searching for a genuine two-way player in white-ball cricket for years. Against Sri Lanka in Lahore he struck 61, and he chipped in with 31 in the final as Pakistan lifted the tri-series trophy.
What excites me is the balance. Plenty of young spinners can bowl. Plenty of young batters can hit. A 21-year-old who finishes a tournament with 149 runs, 9 wickets and the Player of the Series award is doing both in the same weeks — that is rare air, and the ICC has noticed.
Shai Hope — Three Unbeaten Hundreds
And then there is the West Indies captain, who turned October into his personal highlight reel. Hope produced three unbeaten centuries during the month. The biggest was a monumental 162 not out as West Indies chased down 352 against India at New Chandigarh — the highest successful ODI chase in their history. In the T20I series that followed he was just as brutal: 261 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 190.51, including 102 not out off 45 balls at Ranchi in another record chase, and a third unbeaten hundred in the fourth T20I at Hyderabad.
Captains are supposed to lead from the front. Hope did not just lead — he carried the innings, again and again, in two formats, against the strongest side in the world. If this award were decided on pure batting spectacle, it would already be his.
The Women's Shortlist
The women's nominees for October are India's Deepti Sharma (106 not out and five wickets in the ODI series sweep of Zimbabwe), Bangladesh's Sobhana Mostary (118 against Australia — the highest score by a Bangladesh batter against them) and Australia's Annabel Sutherland (99 runs and six wickets in the sweep of Bangladesh).
My Pick — Who Should Win?
Here is my honest reading. On weight of achievement, Jansen edges it: dominating a Test series against Australia and becoming the world's No. 1 Test all-rounder in the same month is the heaviest single entry on this list. Hope's case is the most spectacular — three unbeaten hundreds do not happen by accident. And Minhas? He is the future-tense pick: the youngest, the surprise, and the one whose month changed how a whole cricket nation sees its next all-rounder.
My head says Jansen. My heart — and, I suspect, the Pakistan vote — says Minhas. The fan vote genuinely matters in this award, so if you want the trophy in Pakistan hands, go and vote. Voting is open on the ICC website until November 10, and the winner will be announced once the votes are counted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the ICC Men's Player of the Month nominees for October 2026?
Marco Jansen (South Africa), Arafat Minhas (Pakistan) and Shai Hope (West Indies), shortlisted for their performances between October 1 and 31.
Has Arafat Minhas won the ICC Player of the Month before?
No. None of the three nominees has won the award before, so October's winner will be a first-time winner.
When will the ICC Player of the Month winner be announced?
Fan voting on the ICC website closes on November 10, 2026, and the winner is announced after the voting process is complete.
Sources
- CricTracker — ICC Player of the Month nominees for October 2026 revealed
- The Tribune (ANI) — ICC announces Men's Player of the Month nominees for October 2026
- Crex — ICC reveals nominees for Player of the Month awards for October 2026
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