Why Does England Award 2 Player Of The Series For Home Tours?

Mohammad Abbas Ollie Robinson share player of the series in England vs Pakistan. Image Credits: XAs the Pakistan tour of England 2026 concluded at Edgbaston, Birmingham, one player from each team was given the Player of the Series award due to the age-old tradition that exists in English culture.England beat Pakistan by 8 wickets in the third Test held at Edgbaston to secure a series sweep victory. The hosts chased down the total of 130 runs in 24.2 overs to wrap up the game on Day 4 itself.Mohammad Abbas, Ollie Robinson bag Player of the Series awardsMeanwhile, in the post-game presentation, Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas and England fast bowler Ollie Robinson were given Player of the Series awards for their extraordinary performances throughout the 3-game Test series.Robinson was the leading wicket-taker of the series with 21 dismissals in 3 games, including 2 four-wicket-hauls and a fifer. On the other hand, Abbas grabbed 13 wickets in 3 Tests with a four-fer and a fifer.Both players were standout pacers from their respective teams, and hence, they earned recognition for their contributions.Also Read - Updated WTC Table After PAK vs ENG 3rd Test 2026, World Test Championship Points TableWhy did 2 players get Player of the Series awards?Usually, at the end of any bilateral series, one player from both teams combined gets the Player of the Series award for his exemplary performance. However, English cricket likes to do things differently.In England, there is an age-old tradition of awarding the Player of the Series title to two players, one from each team. The idea is to recognise outstanding performances on both sides, rather than forcing the entire series into a single winner. It's particularly fitting for a long bilateral Test series because players can have excellent individual performances even if their team loses. Interestingly, the award winners are selected by the opposition coaches.For example, Mohammad Abbas’ name was recommended by Stephen Fleming while Ollie Robinson was Mike Hesson’s choice for the prestigious award. When Shubman Gill- Harry Brook won POTS awards togetherA similar instance happened during the India tour of England 2025, which was a 5-game long Test series. Shubman Gill and Harry Brook were named the recipients of Player of the Series awards by the end of the fifth Test.Gill had accumulated a mammoth 754 runs in 10 innings, while Brook also scored 481 runs in 9 innings. Despite Harry Brook’s run total being less than Joe Root's (537), Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir felt Brook’s impact was significant.But Shubman Gill was an easy choice for then England head coach Brendon McCullum, as he had scored a record number of runs in one series alone, that too, in his debut series as India's Test captain. Overall, this was the most recent example of England's unique tradition for home tours.Also Read - Mike Hesson Demands Pakistan's Test Head Coach Role After 3-0 England Whitewash