UAE captain Waseem named ICC Player of the Month

DUBAI:

UAE cricket captain Muhammad Waseem has been named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for May 2025,关键字2 following his outstanding performances in the T20I series win over Bangladesh.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the award on Saturday, recognising Waseem's key role in leading UAE to a historic 2-1 series victory - their first-ever T20I series win against a full-member nation.

Waseem beat out strong contenders, including Scotland's Brandon McMullen and USA's Milind Kumar, to claim the monthly honour.

This marks the second time the 31-year-old has received the award, having first won it in April 2024.

"I am delighted to win the ICC Player of the Month award for the second time," Waseem said. "The month of May brought us a historic series win, and the award is a reflection of the team's hard work, especially the youngsters and debutants who showed incredible heart," he added.

The UAE skipper was in top form throughout the three-match T20I series, scoring 145 runs at a strike rate of 166.66. He began the series with a fluent 54 off 39 balls, although UAE lost the opening game by 27 runs.

In the second match, Waseem led from the front with a stunning 82 off just 42 balls, helping UAE chase down a challenging target of 206 - their highest successful run chase in T20Is.

UAE sealed the series with a win in the third and final match, with Waseem being named Player of the Series for his consistent performances.

Apart from his T20I success, Waseem also contributed in the ODI format, scoring 169 runs across five matches at an average of 33.80 and a strike rate of 90.37.