ICC Men's Player of the Month for October confirmed
Proteas all-rounder Marco Jansen pips Arafat Minhas and Shai Hope to claim his maiden ICC Men's Player of the Month award.
South Africa all-rounder Marco Jansen has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for October 2026 after he played a pivotal role in his side’s memorable 2-1 ICC World Test Championship series triumph over Australia.
The 26-year-old overcame fellow nominees, Pakistan's rising all-rounder Arafat Minhas and West Indies white-ball skipper Shai Hope to claim his first-ever Player of the Month accolade.
Jansen delivered a series-defining performance with both bat and ball, consistently stepping up in crucial moments to help the Proteas recover from an opening Test defeat and clinch the series.
The all-rounder was delighted to receive the honour on the back of a series-defining performance.
“Winning the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award is a great honour for me, particularly after such a competitive series against Australia.
"It was one of the most memorable series of my career, and being able to contribute to the team’s success made it even more special. To receive this recognition as well is something I’m incredibly proud of.
“Individual recognition is always rewarding, but cricket is a team sport and this achievement is testament to the support of my teammates and the work of our support staff, who have backed us throughout.
"We grateful to them all, and our focus now is on building on this momentum as we continue our push to reach the ICC World Test Championship Final next year.”
His finest performance came in the second Test at Gqeberha, where he produced an outstanding all-round display, scoring 85 runs in South Africa’s first innings before claiming six wickets in the match.
His contributions proved instrumental in securing an innings and 31-run victory, levelling the series at 1-1.
The left-arm fast bowler carried his momentum into the series-deciding third Test, registering another valuable half-century and picking up three wickets to help South Africa complete the turnaround and seal a memorable series victory.
Jansen's exploits also helped the Proteas move back to second spot in the WTC standings with a points percentage of 71.43 from seven Tests.
