The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the Player of the Month for May on Thursday (May 13). West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie was rewarded for his performances in May and claimed the first prize from him. He beat Shaheen Afridi and Lorcan Tucker to take the award.
Gudakesh Motie came up with amazing performances in May. He played a role in the West Indies registering a 3-0 win over South Africa last month. He made a vital contribution to the team in all three games and posed serious questions to the Proteas batsman throughout all three games.
Gudakesh Motie started the series on a high, bagging three wickets in the first game and then followed it up with another three-wicket haul in the second game, returning with figures of 3/22. In the last match of the series, he contributed 2 wickets and finished with 8 wickets in the series at an average of 8.5.
Gudakesh Motie, who was awarded Player of the Series against South Africa, continued his excellent form with the ball in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. He picked five wickets at an average of 11 and helped West Indies reach the Super 8 stage of the tournament.
Talking about winning the Player of the Month award, Gudakesh Motie stated that it means a lot to him. He also stated that a standout performance for him was during the series against South Africa where he recorded figures of 3/25. Speaking to ICC, he explained:
“It means a lot to me and I am very happy to win this award. It is very encouraging, I have worked hard during this season and I am happy to see the rewards now. The standout performance for me during the series against South Africa was the first match, in the that I took three for 25. The third wicket that night was my favourite.”
Gudakesh Motie also spoke about playing in the World Cup and stated that it is a very important thing to play at home. He also expressed his confidence in his team playing the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. He added:
“Playing in a World Cup means a lot to me, and playing at home in front of our fans and knowing the conditions is also special. We have started strong, playing three games and achieving three victories, and I see us going all the way and lifting that cup on June 29.”
Chamari Athapaththu wins ICC Player of the Month award
In addition to the ICC Men’s Player of the Month, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for the second time.
In the 4 games he played at Month, he scored 151 runs at an average of 37.75 and was equally impressive with the ball as he took six scalps at just 9.16 runs per wicket. He beat Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce and England’s Sophie Ecclestone to win the award.
