Muhammad Waseem and Hayley Matthews have been named the April ICC Players of the Month

All-around player Hayley Matthews of the West Indies earned the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for leading her side to victory in both the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan. Because of his outstanding run-scoring performances during the UAE’s victory in the ACC Premier Cup, Muhammad Waseem, the captain and opener for the UAE, was awarded the ICC Men’s Player of the Month.

Matthews was honored to get her third ICC Women’s Player of the Month award, having won in October 2023 and November 2021. Her most recent achievement stems from a string of impressive all-around efforts in April that yielded 451 runs and 12 wickets in both shorter forms.

Three one-day internationals (ODIs) marked the start of the West Indies’ tour to Pakistan. Captain Matthews set the tone early with an impressive performance in the first match, smashing an undefeated 140 from the top of the order and then taking three wickets for 17.

Matthews continued to have more success in the next match, matching her exploits with 141 in 149 balls and two wickets taken for 26 in a convincing win that completed the ODI series sweep.

The 26-year-old solidified her status as the top-ranked women’s T20I allrounder when the focus shifted to the next T20I series. Her series was summed up by back-to-back half-centuries in Karachi and six wickets at an average of 10.50, leading the visitors to yet another decisive 4-1 series victory.

Hayley Matthews, the April ICC Women’s Player of the Month, expressed her happiness at winning the title once again. The team’s success as a consequence of these performances is what matters most to me as captain.

“Winning in Pakistan was always a major objective. I wanted to give my best and help the team succeed, so being able to play well and achieve the desired outcomes was fantastic and demonstrated how hard effort and focus in Pakistan paid off.

“I’m very thrilled since I was able to establish some new marks and accomplish some new goals as well. We are confident, and we’ll carry that into the Sri Lankan trip as we try to win more vital points in the ICC Women’s Championship.

Waseem wins the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award, being the first player from the United Arab Emirates to do so. His team won the ACC Premier Cup in Oman thanks to a series of decisive blows. During the month, the opener amassed 269 runs at an average of 44.83, which included a brilliant century off 56 balls in the last match against the home team.

With an impressive strike rate of 182.99 from his performances in April, Waseem’s powerful strokeplay was on display for the duration of the UAE campaign. After hitting a blistering 65 against Bahrain, he went on to crush 45 and 48 against Oman and Cambodia, respectively, before his pyrotechnics against Oman led to an easy 55-run win.

“Being named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month is an incredible honor. “I am ecstatic to be among the esteemed group of global award winners,” Waseem said.

“Players, particularly those from developing cricket teams like the UAE, find great incentive in winning this accolade. Our objective at the ACC Premier Cup in Oman last month was to earn a spot in the Asia Cup the next year. I’m happy with my squad’s performance in the competition.

“On a personal note, I’m pleased that, particularly in the championship game, I led the team from the front. A major game is really spectacular when a century is scored, particularly if it leads the side to win. In these exciting times for UAE cricket, I look forward to our preparations for the Asia Cup and my goal is to keep leading by example and delivering for the team at the bat,” he said.