Matthews and Waseem Crowned ICC Players of the Month for April
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has today unveiled the winners of the ICC Player of the Month awards for April 2024, following the announcement of the shortlists last week.
Hayley Matthews
Hayley Matthews has clinched the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award, having led the West Indies to victory in Pakistan across both ODI and T20I series.
Muhammad Waseem
UAE captain and opening batsman, Muhammad Waseem, has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month, owing to his remarkable run-scoring achievements during the UAE’s victorious ACC Premier Cup campaign.
This marks Matthews’ third ICC Women’s Player of the Month award, following her wins in November 2021 and October 2023. Her latest triumph is attributed to her outstanding all-round performances in April, amassing 451 runs and taking 12 wickets across both shorter formats.
Matthews set the stage for the West Indies’ tour of Pakistan with a commanding performance in the opening ODI, scoring an unbeaten 140 and taking three wickets for 17. She continued her stellar form in the third match, scoring 141 runs and taking two wickets, leading her team to a clean sweep of the ODI series.
During the subsequent T20I series, the 26-year-old further solidified her position as the top-ranked Women’s T20I allrounder. Her back-to-back half-centuries in Karachi and six wickets at an average of 10.50 were instrumental in the West Indies’ 4-1 series victory.
Hayley Matthews’ Statement
Upon receiving the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April, Hayley Matthews expressed, “I am really happy to win the award again. These performances resulted in the team’s success and that’s the most important thing for me as captain.”
She further added, “Winning in Pakistan was always a big goal. I wanted to perform well and contribute to the team’s success. Being able to set some new records and achieve some new milestones was good for me. We have confidence and we will take this with us going into the tour of Sri Lanka and look to secure more crucial points in the ICC Women’s Championship.”
Waseem, the ICC Men’s Player of the Month, becomes the first UAE player to win the accolade. His powerful performances, including a 56-ball century in the final against the hosts, helped his team secure the ACC Premier Cup in Oman.
Muhammad Waseem’s Statement
Reacting to his win, Muhammad Waseem said, “It is a great honour to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. I am thrilled to join a distinguished list of award winners from around the world.”
He added, “The award is a big motivation for players especially those from emerging cricket teams like the UAE. Scoring a century in a big game is indeed a special moment, especially when it helps the team to victory. I look forward to our preparations for the Asia Cup and my aim is to continue to deliver for the team with the bat and lead by example in these exciting times for UAE cricket.”
Matthews and Waseem were chosen for the awards following a vote conducted among global fans registered at icc-cricket.com and a specialist panel comprising ICC Hall of Famers, former international players, and media representatives.
Matthews emerged victorious from a strong shortlist of candidates which included Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, while Waseem overcame Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and Nambia’s all-rounder Gerhard Erasmus to claim the monthly accolade.
Fans can continue to vote every month for their favourite cricketers across all formats of international cricket in the ICC Player of the Month awards by registering at www.icc-cricket.com/awards.