UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem was delighted after being named the ICC Player of the Month on Monday.
The prolific opening batter was honoured for his superb run with the bat during the month of April.
The 30-year-old beat Pakistan superstar Shaheen Afridi and Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus in the race for the award in the men’s category as he became the first-ever player from UAE to hold this prestigious trophy.
“It is a great honour to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. I am thrilled to join a distinguished list of award winners from around the world,” Waseem was quoted as saying by ICC.
Since making his international debut in October 2021, Waseem has been a key component of the UAE batting order. He’s already the third-highest run-getter for his team in the ODI format with 1289 runs at an impressive strike rate of 91.
His numbers improve even further in the shortest format of the game. In the T20Is, he’s the highest run-getter for the UAE with 1977 runs at an average close to 40 and a strike rate of 154.69.
It was his exemplary T20I form which was on display in April in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup.
While Waseem fell for a first-ball duck against Kuwait, the 30-year-old quickly turned it around and found form at the top of the UAE batting order.
In the next three games, he he produced important knocks of 65, 45, and 48.
But Waseem’s highlight of the month came in the final of the ACC Premier Cup, where his third T20I century led UAE to the title.
After his opposite number, Oman’s Zeeshan Maqsood asked UAE to bat first, Waseem took the attacking route after playing out a couple of watchful overs.
He smashed six fours and a whopping seven sixes during his hundred and helped UAE to a strong total of 204/4. In response, Oman could only get to 149/9, giving UAE a 55-run win.
Waseem was awarded the Player of the Series for his 269 runs in the tournament.
The Pakistan-born player now hopes that the ICC accolade would now inspire more players from the associate nations.
“The award is a big motivation for players especially those from emerging cricket teams like the UAE. Last month, our goal in the ACC Premier Cup in Oman was to qualify for next year’s Asia Cup and I am proud of my team and their performance in the tournament,” he said.
“At a personal level I am happy that I led the team from the front especially in the final. Scoring a century in a big game is indeed a special moment, especially when it helps the team to victory. I look forward to our preparations for the Asia Cup and my aim is to continue to deliver for the team with the bat and lead by example in these exciting times for UAE cricket.”