New Delhi, June 7: Muhammad Waseem, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) skipper, has been named winner of the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for May 2025. He beat competition from Scotland’s Brandon McMullen and USA’s Milind Kumar to win the monthly honour for the second time.

Waseem gets the honour after a string of good performances in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 and a memorable home T20I series win against Bangladesh in May. After scoring 169 runs in five ODIs as a middle-order batter, Waseem’s best came when the T20Is against Bangladesh began in Sharjah.

“I am delighted to win the ICC Player of the Month award for the second time. I want to thank the ICC and all the fans who voted for me. I also want to thank all my team members and support staff as this award is as much for them as it is for me.”

"The month of May brought us a historic series win over Bangladesh in Sharjah. The victory indicates the growth of UAE cricket and the depth of talent in the country. The series was won due to a total team effort and what delighted me the most was the performance of the debutants and the youngsters in the squad who displayed incredible passion and heart,” said Waseem in an ICC statement.

Waseem started off his T20I series against Bangladesh with a 39-ball 54, hitting seven fours and two sixes, though it ended up in vain as UAE lost by 27 runs. The UAE skipper would make it back-to-back fifties with a stunning 82 off 42 balls laced with nine fours and five sixes as the hosts’ secured their first-ever victory over Bangladesh by chasing 205 with a ball to spare.

UAE would go on to win the final T20I to secure a historic 2-1 series victory over Bangladesh. For his 145 runs in three T20Is coming incredible strike rate of 166.66 against Bangladesh, Waseem also won the Player of the Series award.

"Our aim is now to continue our progress and not only compete but beat bigger teams and make our presence felt in major international events. I am sure that with the current lot of players, UAE cricket will continue to thrive and prosper.”

"I would also want to thank the Emirates Cricket Board for their support and backing. At an individual level, my aim would be to work even harder, to stay consistent and to play according to the demands of modern day T20 game for the benefit of our team," concluded Waseem.

(IANS)

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