West Indies Players Shine as ICC Players of the Month for July

Dubai, August 18: West Indies all-rounders Justin Greaves and Hayley Matthews have been named the ICC Players of the Month for July. Greaves earned the award for his outstanding performance in Test cricket, while Matthews was recognized for her achievements in One Day Internationals (ODIs), marking a significant double victory for the West Indies.

This is the first time that players from the West Indies have won both awards in the same month. Since the awards were introduced in January 2021, this is only the fifth occurrence. Previous winners include India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana (June 2024), Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage and Harshitha Samarawickrama (August 2024), India’s Abhishek Sharma and Smriti Mandhana (September 2025), and South Africa’s Senuran Muthusamy and Laura Wolvaardt (October 2025).

Greaves, who excelled in home Test matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, won the award by outperforming England’s captain Harry Brook and Bangladesh’s opener Tanzid Hasan. He played a crucial role in saving the second Test against Sri Lanka in North Sound, scoring an impressive 180 runs after the visiting team amassed 549 runs for 9 wickets. His performance helped secure a 1-0 victory in the two-match ICC World Test Championship series. In the first Test against Pakistan in Trinidad, he took five wickets for 27 runs and two wickets for 12 runs, leading his team to a 90-run win.

In a statement released by the ICC, Greaves expressed, “This month has been memorable for me playing at home. Contributing with both bat and ball against Sri Lanka and Pakistan was special. Performing effectively in Test cricket is always memorable, especially in front of our home crowd. I’m glad I could contribute to some key performances for the team, and I hope to continue making significant contributions moving forward. I thank my teammates and the team staff for their support and look forward to building on this momentum in the coming months.”

On the other hand, Hayley Matthews secured her award by surpassing England’s captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sri Lankan batter Harshitha Samarawickrama. This marks her record fifth time winning the award, having previously claimed it in November 2021, October 2023, April 2024, and June 2025.

Matthews shone in the first two ODIs against Ireland, scoring 159* and 100 runs. Throughout the series, she amassed 265 runs and took 7 wickets.

After winning the award, Matthews said, “I am very happy to win the ICC Player of the Month award once again. It is as special as my previous awards. I hope this inspires me to raise my standards, contribute to the West Indies, and win more awards in the future. It’s an exciting time for women’s cricket, with more attention and interest than ever before. I take pride in contributing to its growth through my performances, and I thank the ICC for their continued support of women’s sports.”