The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the most recent lists of competitors vying for the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month titles following April’s international matches. The shortlist for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award consists of three outstanding players.
Chamari Athapaththu, the captain of Sri Lanka, is a formidable scorer who made history last month in both ODIs and T20Is in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Hayley Matthews, who impressed with her all-around play during the West Indies’ impressive performance in Pakistan, now competes alongside her. The talented batter Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa, who also motivated her team with the bat in April’s games, completes the lineup.
The ICC Men’s Player of the Month shortlist features additional notable players who dominated in T20Is over the previous month.
Respected fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan is one of the contenders because his efforts to take wickets led to a series draw between Pakistan and a touring team from New Zealand. As Namibia won a significant series in Oman, Captain Gerhard Erasmus played a crucial role. Muhammad Waseem, the opening batsman and captain of the United Arab Emirates, is the last nominee. He made an impact during his team’s run to the ACC Premier Cup.
April’s ICC Women’s Player of the Month nominees are:
Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
Regaining the top rank in the ICC Women’s ODI Batting rankings following an outstanding performance in April, the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year from the previous year continues to dominate in the 50-over format. Records fell for the captain of Sri Lanka as a result of his brilliant, undefeated 195 against South Africa at Potchefstroom, where the tourists triumphed in a record-breaking run chase. Along with 258 runs in ODIs, there were 148 runs in T20Is, including two half-centuries in South Africa and another against Scotland in the ongoing Women’s T20WC Qualifier in Abu Dhabi. Sri Lanka qualified for the finals on Sunday.
Hayley Matthews (West Indies)
Matthews is another highly regarded player who made waves in April. She is the reigning ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year and a former winner of the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award. The 26-year-old captain of the West Indies scored a tonne of runs in her six matches, including two outstanding ODI century and then back-to-back half-centuries in the T20I matches against Pakistan. In April, Matthews amassed 451 runs, but she also excelled with the ball, capturing 12 wickets, six at an average of 14 in ODIs and six more at 10.50 in T20Is.
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)
With her fourth nomination, the South African opener hopes to win Player of the Month for the first time. She is a serious contender after putting on another incredible run of performances in April. Before continuing her outstanding form into the ODI series, Wolvaardt began the month with a half-century in the final Twenty20 International match against Sri Lanka. The 25-year-old saved her best performance for the final game, smashing a national record score of 184 in 147 balls, only for Athapaththu’s brilliance to outclass South Africa. Her innings of 41 in the first match were followed by an overwhelming 110 not out in the second to earn a crucial win.
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April’s ICC Men’s Player of the Month nominees are:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
In their drawn T20I series against New Zealand, Pakistan’s bowler, Afridi, was at times at his most formidable. With the seamer serving as the main engine for both of the home team’s wins, the series finished 2-2. In the second Twenty20 International, Afridi tore through the Blackcaps batting order, claiming three wickets for thirteen as Pakistan won handily. Then, behind in the series going into the penultimate match, Afridi unleashed yet another devastating performance, taking four for thirty to save the series tie. With eight wickets at an average of 10.00 throughout the series, Afridi won the Player of the Series award.
Gerhard Erasmus (Namibia)
In a tight series against Oman in April, Namibia’s captain, Erasmus, was a driving force behind his team’s victory. His month featured 145 runs and eight wickets, and he contributed to the tourists’ memorable 3-2 victory in Muscat. Erasmus was awarded Player of the Match twice: once for his dominating half-century in the second match after a tight stretch of three wickets for seven runs, and again for his heroics in the final. With the score tied at 2-2, the captain struck an impressive 64 off just 29 balls before taking two wickets and eviscerating Oman to thoroughly win the series.
Muhammad Waseem (UAE)
As his team won the ACC Premier Cup in Oman in April, the UAE’s skipper and opener, Waseem, had yet another outstanding month at the wicket. Scores of 45 and 48 against Oman and Cambodia, respectively, came after a fast 65 against Bahrain. Despite losing to Nepal, the 30-year-old found his form at the perfect moment and crushed the hosts in the championship match. The batsman hopes to make history by being the first cricketer from the United Arab Emirates to win ICC Men’s Player of the Month after hitting 269 runs at an average of 44.83 during the month.
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