The International Cricket Council (ICC) Monday announced the shortlist of contenders in line to win the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for April.  The ICC Women’s Player of the Month nominees comprise three leading all-rounders who played starring roles in last month’s hotly contested ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Qualifier in Pakistan. 

Fatima Sana was in inspired form during April, leading Pakistan to claim a World Cup spot with a string of memorable performances during an unbeaten week on home soil. Kathryn Bryce also enjoyed a stellar month leading Scotland, and ended as the competition’s leading run-scorer.

Hayley Matthews of the West Indies completes the shortlist, and will be aiming to win her fourth Player of the Month accolade with runs and wickets flowing during the month.  The ICC Men’s Player of the Month shortlist features standout performers in the Bangladesh-Zimbabwe Test series and an emerging New Zealand pacer. 

Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz made telling contributions at both ends of the crease in Bangladesh’s tied Test series against Zimbabwe, earning his first nomination for ICC Men’s Player of the Month. Likewise on the opposing side, Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani enjoyed significant success with the ball in hand to earn his side a share of the spoils.

New Zealand’s Ben Sears becomes the third and final name on the shortlist after blistering spells in his side’s 3-0 ODI sweep over Pakistan. An independent ICC Voting Academy and fans around the world will now be invited to cast their votes to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans are now able to vote for their favourite performers at icc-cricket.com/awards. 

Scotland’s talisman once again demonstrated outstanding form in an ICC qualifying event despite falling short of sealing a spot at this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. Leading from the front, the 27-year-old skipper blasted 293 runs over her five games at an average of 73.25 which included notable knocks of 91 against hosts Pakistan, 60 against Thailand and a glittering 131 not out against Ireland.

Beyond her batting prowess, Bryce also contributed with the ball, taking six wickets during the competition and was ultimately named the Player of the Series. A shining light for the West Indies in an otherwise disappointing campaign, Matthews began her Qualifier with a mesmerizing all-round display against Scotland in Lahore, taking four for 56 and striking an unbeaten 114 albeit in defeat.

Her tournament-leading 13 wickets at 15.84 included spells of four for 24 against Ireland and two wickets apiece against Pakistan and Bangladesh, before the dramatic final matchup against Thailand, where Matthews’ explosive 70 in 29 balls saw the islanders fall agonizingly short of snatching a World Cup spot on account of net run rate.  The Pakistan captain enjoyed a fruitful Qualifier as leading wicket-taker for her side with 12 wickets in her five outings at an average of 12.25.

After a modest start to her competition, Fatima came to life with four for 23 against Scotland and three wickets each against West Indies and Thailand. With the addition of 103 runs in the lower order, the 23-year-old made progress up the ODI Bowling and All-Rounder Rankings, and seeks to win her first Women’s Player of the Month crown, and first for Pakistan since Sidra Ameen won in November 2022. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)