Explosive England Batter Jonny Bairstow Named ICC Player Of The Month For June 2022

England's in-form batter Jonny Bairstow on Monday bagged the ICC Men's Player of the Month for June 2022. Bairstow bags this award for the first time, getting the better of his teammate Joe Root and all-rounder Daryl Mitchell of New Zealand.

Bairstow was crowned following a month of memorable performances in his side's 3-0 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series victory against reigning champions New Zealand.

Despite a quiet start at Lord's, Bairstow produced an exhibition of explosive hitting in his second innings knock of 136 to steal victory against the odds in the second Test at Trent Bridge, smashing the second fastest century ever registered by an English batter in the longest format of the game.

His exploits extended to the final match of the series at Headingley, sealing the whitewash in equally explosive fashion with scores of 162 and 71 not out, which has since launched him up in the ICC Test Batter Rankings.

"I would like to thank the fans for voting for me as the ICC Men's Player of the Month. It has been an incredible five weeks for England. It has been a positive start to our summer with four excellent wins against high-class opposition in New Zealand and India.

"We are enjoying our cricket as a team and playing with clarity and positivity. Even though I have scored four centuries in this period, I would like to acknowledge my teammates who have been excellent in every department and playing with immense confidence," said Bairstow.

Bairstow's remarkable run continued into July, where twin centuries of 106 and 114 not out in his side's victory in the rescheduled fifth Test against India at Edgbaston saw them reach home in a record-breaking run chase of 378.

Bairstow's continued dominance already lines him up as a potential contender for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for July 2022.

"Jonny played the pivotal role of the aggressor, and was instrumental in winning the series for England with his counterattacking knock which changed the complex of the series against the World Test Champions. These kinds of players are special in Test cricket, and in my opinion he fully deserves this recognition," said Farveez Maharoof, former Sri Lanka pacer and ICC Player of the Month voting panel member.

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Bairstow is currently the leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year, making 994 runs in eight matches at an average of 76.46, including six centuries and a fifty. He will be next seen in action with the ODIs against India starting from Tuesday at The Oval, after being rested from recently-concluded T20I series.