UAE captain Waseem, Tryon named ICC Players of the Month for May

The UAE batter Muhammad Waseem and South Africa all-rounder Chloe Tryon have been named as the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for May 2025.

Waseem wins the award for the second time after a string of good performances in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 and a home T20I series against Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Tryon had a memorable tour of Sri Lanka as she scored 176 runs at a strike-rate of 131.34 in three ODIs and took six wickets in the three-team tournament in Colombo that also featured India.

Tryon had scores of 67 (against India), 35 and 74 (against Sri Lanka) but the highlight was a haul of five for 34 against Sri Lanka which included a hat-trick.

The West Indies captain Haley Matthews and India batter Jemimah Rodrigues were the others shortlisted for the monthly award this time.though South Africa didn’t enter the final of the ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka, Chloe had a productive month. Though South Africa had a 23-run loss to eventual champions India, Chloe was in fine nick to hit 67 off 43 balls, comprising four boundaries and five sixes, apart from recording figures of 1-46 and taking the prized wicket of Smriti Mandhana.

But Chloe saved her best for last as she was at her dominant best for South Africa in their final tri-series game against hosts Sri Lanka. Batting first, Chloe smashed 74 off 51 deliveries, including four fours and five sixes, as South Africa posted a huge 315.

Chloe followed it up by picking her maiden five-wicket-haul – 5-34 off her eight overs as she tore through the Sri Lanka batting order, including taking a stunning hat-trick and guiding South Africa to a 76-run victory at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

“I am really happy with my five-wicket effort and the hat-trick. I was pretty tired most of the time, but I’m happy to have achieved that. You always want to add those milestones to your memories as a cricketer.”

“I’m glad I finally got to tick that off my list. It’s still a bit of a blur, to be honest. I think the team carried me throughout that day. I was a little bit sick, so that didn’t really help much. But everything came together, and I’m just really happy that I could perform and help the team win,” said Chloe in an ICC statement.

The all-rounder is now aiming to build on a consistent set of performances from Sri Lanka when South Africa go on a white-ball tour of the West Indies, starting later this month, and later play the 2025 ODI World Cup in India.

The 31-year-old scored 169 runs in five ODIs batting in the middle order and was the Player of the Series in the series against Bangladesh in Sharjah which his side won 2-1. He led the team in this T20I series and scored 54 and 82 in the first two matches opening the batting.

Waseem, who also won the award in April 2024, edged all-rounders Brendon McMullen of Scotland and Milind Kumar of the United States.

Mohammad Waseem said: “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.

“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.”