Muhammad Waseem creates history, becomes the ICC player of the month, April

Muhammad Waseem, the captain of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) team, made history. He became the first cricketer from the country to win the ICC Men's Player of the Month award (April, 2024). He was nominated with Shaheen Shah Afridi from Pakistan and Gerhard Erasmus from Namibia. Waseem surpassed both of them.

Upon winning the award, Muhammad Waseem said, "It's a tremendous honor to win the ICC Men's Player of the Month award. Being recognized alongside outstanding cricketers from other countries fills me with joy."

"This award is inspirational for cricketers, especially those from countries like the United Arab Emirates. Our goal last month was to perform well in the ACC Premier Cup to qualify for next year's Asia Cup. I am proud of my team's performance."

"On a personal level, I am happy to lead the team from the front, especially in the final. It was a great moment to contribute on the big stage, especially when it led to the team's victory. I am preparing for the Asia Cup and aim to perform well with the bat, setting an example as a captain."

Muhammad Waseem's international debut was in October 2021. Since then, he has become the backbone of the team's batting. He is already the third-highest run-scorer for the team in One Day Internationals. In Twenty20 Internationals, Muhammad Waseem is the leading run-scorer for the team with an average of 40 and a strike rate of 154.69, accumulating 1977 runs.

Although he failed to score in the first match of the ACC Premier Cup, he played innings of 65, 45, and 48 runs in the following matches. This 30-year-old batter secured victory in the final with his 3rd T20I century. He scored 269 runs in the tournament and was the Player of the Tournament.