South African all-rounder Marco Jansen
After a stellar 12-month spell that has seen him become a regular at Proteas in Test cricket, all-rounder Marco Jansen was named the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year on Wednesday.
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The 22-year-old won the award ahead of New Zealand’s Finn Allen, India’s Arshdeep Singh and Afghan youth Ibrahim Zadran.
It’s been an incredible rise for Jansen, who just over a year ago still hadn’t played for the national team.
By the time the 2023 calendar began, the 2.09-meter-tall left-back had become an integral part of the national setup, appearing in 12 matches across all three formats.
Jansen has made his mark in Test cricket in particular where he has played eight matches, taking 36 wickets.
His wickets in the game’s longest format came in at an impressive average of 19.02, with the lanky pacer bagging two four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul (5/35), which came at the London Oval during Proteas’ tour of the country during August and September.
He also recorded a maiden half-century (59) when South Africa faced Australia in Melbourne during their end-of-year tour. Overall with the bat, she racked up 234 runs in her 13 innings last year.
Following the news of the ICC award, Jansen acknowledged that her first international year exceeded her expectations.
“I’m at a loss for words right now after what I think has been a dream year for me,” a delighted Jansen said.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined taking 36 wickets and playing eight Test matches for Proteas in my first year of international cricket.
“So to have achieved this feat, with the cherry on top of being named ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year, is incredible. I am very grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to get to this point so early in my career.”
Jansen is still settling into the game’s shorter format and has represented South Africa in three ODIs and one T20 international.
Despite his stellar rise, Jansen keeps his feet firmly on the ground. “Whatever sport you play, it’s all about longevity,” Jansen said.
“I’m still a rookie to international cricket, and these were just the first steps on my journey.
“I don’t want to be remembered just for this award; I want to become the best and to get there there is a lot of work ahead of me.
“I am also continuing to develop and hopefully with hard work and dedication in the coming months and years, I will be able to reach my full potential and become a great ambassador for South African cricket.
“For now, I will enjoy the moment, but I look forward to building on my achievements from 2022 in 2023,” Jansen concluded.
