Shaheen Shah Afridi nominated for ICC Player of the Month award

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday revealed the nominees for the ICC Player of the Month awards, with Pakistan star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi among the contenders.  

The ICC Men’s Player of the Month contenders feature three familiar faces competing at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi enjoyed a prolific wicket-taking month in his side’s T20I tours of Ireland and England last month.

Similarly, Gudakesh Motie of the West Indies earns a nomination after his Player of the Series exploits in their whitewash series triumph over South Africa.

ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for May:

Shaheen Shah Afridi (PAK)

Pakistan’s frontline pacer is nominated for the second successive month after another blistering spell of fast bowling in May. Shaheen Shah Afridi took ten wickets in his five T20I contests during the month, which included three consecutive three-wicket hauls.

Spells of three for 49 and three for 14 against Ireland helped Pakistan overturn a series deficit to win in Dublin, before the 24-year-old followed up with three for 36 against England in Birmingham. The three-time nominee has never won a Men’s Player of the Month award but has a strong case to claim his maiden prize.

Gudakesh Motie (WI)

The West Indies’ left-arm spinner enjoyed plenty of success in the home series against South Africa in May, taking eight wickets across three matches at an average of 8.50, as the hosts sealed a statement 3-0 victory in Jamaica.

Motie took three for 25 in the opening contest to restrict the tourists’ chase and he backed that performance up with another impressive spell of three for 22 to stifle the middle order in the second fixture.

Another two wickets in the final match turned the tide in favour of the hosts once more and allowed the 29-year-old to claim the Player of the Series accolade.

Lorcan Tucker (IRE)

The wicketkeeper-batter aims to become the first Irish winner of the Men’s Player of the Month award since Harry Tector in May 2023, and is nominated thanks to explosive run-scoring feats during a busy month of international competition.

Tucker top-scored for Ireland in the second and third matches against Pakistan with successive quickfire scores of 51 and 73, and carried that momentum into the tri-series against Scotland and Netherlands, hitting 40 and 55 as Ireland sealed confidence boosting wins ahead of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign.