ICC Men’s Player of the Month for May 2024 named
West Indies’ tweaker Gudakesh Motie becomes just the second player from his side to secure an ICC Men’s Player of the Month award.
2024 is turning out to be a fairly rewarding year for West Indies players.
In January, young star Shamar Joseph won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for his sensational performance that led to the unforgettable victory over Australia at the Gabba. Now, teammate Motie has secured the Player of the Month award for May 2024.
He beat competition from Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker to win the award.
Gudakesh Motie gets the big scalp of Kane Williamson | T20WC 2024
The West Indies’ left-arm spinner, who has continued to shine during the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, had a host of brilliant outings during May
He enjoyed plenty of success in the three-match home series against South Africa in May. The left-arm tweaker picked eight wickets across three matches at a parsimonious average of 8.50.
Motie snares Mitchell's wicket with a peach | T20WC 2024
On the back of his performance, the hosts sealed a statement 3-0 victory in Jamaica.
Motie picked up 3/25 in the opening contest to restrict the tourists’ chase and he backed that performance up with another impressive spell of three for 22 to stifle the middle-order in the second fixture as well.
Another two wickets in the final match turned the tide in favour of the hosts once more and allowed the 29-year-old to claim the Player of the Series accolade.
In the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup, Motie has shown fine form and picked five wickets at an average of 11.
Motie was excited to accept the award and is hoping he can continue his excellent recent form and help the West Indies succeed at the T20 World Cup.
“It means a lot to me and I am very happy to win this award. It’s very encouraging, I have put in a lot of work during this season and I am happy that I am seeing the rewards now," Motie said.
“The standout performance for me during the series against South Africa was the first game, where I took three for 25. The third wicket that night was my favourite.
“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 strongly, playing three games and getting three wins, and I see us going all the way and lifting that cup on 29 June.”