Dubai, Nov 13 (IANS) South African all-rounder Marco Jansen has been named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for October 2026 following his outstanding performances in the Proteas' 2-1 Test series victory over Australia.

The 26-year-old claimed his maiden Player of the Month award after beating Pakistan's rising all-rounder Arafat Minhas and West Indies white-ball captain Shai Hope, who were the other nominees for the honour.

Jansen played a crucial role in South Africa's comeback after losing the opening Test, producing match-winning performances with both bat and ball to help his side clinch the three-match series.

The left-arm fast bowler's most impressive performance came in the second Test at Gqeberha, where he scored 85 runs in South Africa's first innings and picked up six wickets in the match. His all-round contribution helped the hosts secure an innings and 31-run victory, bringing the series level at 1-1.

Jansen continued his impressive form in the series-deciding third Test, scoring another valuable half-century and claiming three wickets as South Africa completed a memorable turnaround to register a 2-1 series triumph.

Reacting to the recognition, Jansen described the award as a great honour, particularly after a competitive series against Australia, while acknowledging the contribution of his teammates and support staff.

"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," Jansen said.

"Individual recognition is always rewarding, but cricket is a team sport, and this achievement is a testament to the support of my teammates and the work of our support staff, who have backed us throughout," he added.

Jansen also stressed that South Africa's focus would remain on maintaining their momentum as they continue their campaign to reach next year's ICC World Test Championship final.

The series victory also helped South Africa return to second place in the WTC standings, with a points percentage of 71.43 from seven Tests.

"We are 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," he said.

--IANS

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