Nominees for ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for May unveiled

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday, unveiled the nominees for the Men’s Player of the Month Award for May 2024, including star Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi.

The ICC Player of the Month award acknowledges the magnificent individual performers on the international stage in May.

Along with Afridi, the nominees for the Men’s Player of the Month also include West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie and Ireland’s wicketkeeper batter Lorcan Tucker.

The Pakistan pace spearhead had a successful month as he picked up 10 wickets at an average of 14.5 in May.

Shaheen Shah Afridi was magnificent with the new ball amid Pakistan’s tour to Ireland and England, picking up three consecutive three-wicket hauls, one against and Ireland and two against England.

His second three-wicket haul came in the final T20I of the three-game T20I series against Ireland.

Shaheen provided Pakistan with important breakthroughs in each stage of the innings and was thus adjudged the Player of the Match for returning brilliant figures of 3/14.

On the other hand, Gudakesh Motie was one of the key spinners that led the West Indies to clean sweep South Africa 3-0 ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Motie claimed a total of eight wickets in the three-match home series at an impressive average of just 8.5.

He bagged three wickets in the middle overs of the series opener to defy South Africa from chasing down the 176-run target. He played a similar role in the second T20I and bagged as many wickets.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s wicketkeeper batter Lorcan Tucker, who recorded four 40-plus scores in May, is also among the nominees for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award.

Tucker scored two half-centuries in the three-match home series against Pakistan and went on to score 227 runs in six innings at an average of 37.83.

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