Associate Nations Dominate ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominations for May 2025

The ICC has named three standout performers from associate nations as nominees for the Men's Player of the Month award for May 2025. Scotland's Brandon McMullen, USA's Milind Kumar, and UAE's Muhammad Waseem earned recognition for their match-winning performances that helped their teams achieve significant results.

Brandon McMullen (Scotland)

The 25-year-old all-rounder delivered consistent performances in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2. In five ODIs, he scored 233 runs at an average of 58.25 while maintaining an impressive strike rate of 107.87. With the ball, he took 10 wickets at an economy rate of 5.08. 

His best performance came against Netherlands, where he scored a century (101 off 88 balls) to help Scotland post their highest-ever ODI total of 380/9, then took 4/55 to secure a 145-run victory. The ICC noted he "rose to the occasion for his side" during their League 2 campaign.

Milind Kumar (USA)

The 34 year old made history for USA cricket in May. Against Oman, he became the first USA player to score a fifty (68 runs) and take five wickets (5/34) in the same ODI. Later in the month, he scored an unbeaten 115 off just 67 balls against Canada, hitting 12 fours and 5 sixes. Across four ODIs, he totaled 201 runs at an average of 67 while also taking nine wickets.

Muhammad Waseem (UAE)

The UAE captain led his team to a memorable T20I series win against Bangladesh. After losing the first match, Waseem scored 54 and 82 in the next two games to help UAE win the series 2-1. His 82 off 42 balls in the second T20I was particularly crucial in a tight two-wicket victory. He was named Player of the Series and also scored 169 runs in five ODIs during the month. Reports highlighted how "Waseem led the side from the front" during these achievements.

In the women's category, the nominees are West Indies' Hayley Matthews, South Africa's Chloe Tryon, and India's Jemimah Rodrigues for their outstanding performances during May.

The nominations highlight the growing competitiveness of associate nations in international cricket. All three men's nominees played key roles in their teams' successes against higher-ranked opponents. The winners will be decided through votes from the ICC Voting Academy and fans worldwide, with results expected in mid-June.