Pakistan player among nominees for Player of the Month for April 2024

Pakistan's left-arm pacer, Shaheen Afridi, has been nominated for the prestigious Player of the Month award for April 2024, following his outstanding performances in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand.

Shaheen's exceptional form with the ball stood out during the series, where he emerged as the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan. His impactful contributions played a pivotal role in Pakistan's success against the Kiwis.

In the rain-affected series opener, Shaheen showcased his prowess by claiming a crucial wicket. However, it was in the second and fifth matches where he truly shone. His spellbinding performance of 3/13 in the second game earned him the Player of the Match title, restricting New Zealand to a mere 90 runs. Shaheen's brilliance continued in the series decider, where his impressive figures of 4/30 led Pakistan to victory and helped level the series at two wins each.

The second nominee for the aforementioned award is Nabimia skipper Gerhard Erasmus, who showcased exceptional form during the recent tour of Oman, making significant contributions with both bat and ball. Erasmus stood out with two Player of the Match performances during the five-match T20I series. 

His first standout performance came in the second game, where he scored 58 runs from 56 deliveries and took 3 wickets for 7 runs in a narrow six-run loss. 

However, he outdid himself in the crucial fifth match that decided the series, smashing six sixes en route to a rapid 64 from 29 deliveries and making key breakthroughs as Namibia won by 62 runs, securing the series. 

UAE's Mohammad Waseem is also among the nominees as he maintained excellent form, including scoring heavily at the ACC Premier Cup and achieving his third T20I century. 

While Waseem faced an initial setback with a first-ball duck against Kuwait, he quickly regained form with innings of 65, 45, and 48 in consecutive matches. 

His standout performance came in the ACC Premier Cup final, where he scored a remarkable third T20I century from just 56 deliveries, leading UAE to a convincing 55-run victory over Oman with six fours and seven sixes.