Muhammad Waseem and Hayley Matthews were named the April ICC Players of the Month.

Celebrated for her third time, Hayley Matthews was named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month in November 2021 and October 2023. 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.

Following the announcement of the shortlists last week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has now named the winners of the ICC Player of the Month awards for April 2024.

Leading the West Indies to victory in both the ODI and T20I series in Pakistan, Hayley Matthews is named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month.

Because of his outstanding run-scoring performances during the UAE’s ACC Premier Cup victory, Muhammad Waseem, the skipper and opener for the UAE, has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month.

Three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) marked the start of the West Indies’ tour of 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 third 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 ensuing 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 tourists 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 more. The team’s success as a result 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 really thrilled since I was able to set some new marks and accomplish some new goals as well. We are confident, and we’ll carry that into the Sri Lankan tour 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 fireworks against Oman led to an easy 55-run win.

Muhammad Waseem, the April ICC Men’s Player of the Month, expressed his gratitude, saying, “Winning the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award is a great honour.” I am overjoyed to be included in this esteemed group of global award winners.

“Players, especially those from developing cricket teams like the UAE, find great incentive in winning this accolade. We competed in the ACC Premier Cup in Oman last month with the intention of earning a spot in the Asia Cup the following year. I’m proud of my team’s success in the competition.

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“I’m pleased with myself that I led the squad from the front, especially in the championship game. A major game is truly special when a century is scored, especially if it leads the side to victory. 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 results with the bat for the team.

Hayley Matthews beat out a competitive field of contenders that included South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, while Waseem defeated Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi and Namibia’s all-rounder Gerhard Erasmus to win the monthly award.