Jomel Warrican and Beth Mooney Clinch ICC Player of the Month Awards for January

West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican and Australian batter Beth Mooney have been named the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for January 2025. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the winners on Tuesday, recognizing their outstanding performances on the international stage.

Jomel Warrican’s exceptional left-arm spin played a pivotal role in West Indies’ first Test victory in Pakistan since 1990. His heroics in the sub-continent earned him his maiden ICC Men’s Player of the Month award, as he outperformed Pakistan’s Noman Ali and India’s Varun Chakravarthy in the nominations.

The 32-year-old was instrumental in both Test matches against Pakistan, claiming an impressive 19 wickets at an astonishing average of just 9.00. Despite West Indies losing the series opener, Warrican left a significant mark with ten wickets in the first Test in Multan. He delivered figures of 3/69 in the first innings before producing a career-best spell of 7/32 in the second.

In the second Test, he continued his dominance, not only with the ball but also with the bat. West Indies were struggling at 95/9 in the first innings when Warrican stepped up with an unbeaten 36, forging a crucial last-wicket stand with Kemar Roach to push the team to 163. His contributions were vital as he went on to claim figures of 4/43 and 5/27, leading West Indies to a historic 120-run victory and securing the Player of the Series award.

Warrican became the first West Indian to win the ICC Player of the Month award since fellow spinner Gudakesh Motie achieved the feat in May 2024.

Expressing his delight, Warrican said, “It’s an honour to win this award. One of my goals for this year was my first five-for in Test cricket, but I did not think it would be this grand! I see this as one small step in my cricketing career, and I look forward to many more. I promised my captain something special in this series, especially when my father, my biggest supporter, predicted a phenomenal performance for me.”

Reflecting on his success, he added, “Multan has a special place in my heart: not only because of the historic win for the West Indies, beating Pakistan away from home but also by earning this prestigious award.”

Beth Mooney, on the other hand, showcased her brilliance across formats to help Australia dominate England in the Women’s Ashes. Her outstanding performances in both ODIs and T20Is saw her beat West Indies’ Karishma Ramharack and India’s U19 star Gongadi Trisha to claim the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award.

After a quiet start to the series, Mooney found her rhythm in the third ODI in Hobart. With Australia struggling at 59/4, she played a composed knock of 50 off 64 balls, setting the platform for a match-winning total of 308 as Australia sealed an ODI series sweep over England.

Her dominance continued into the T20I series, where she reinforced her position as the world’s top-ranked batter. She amassed 213 runs at a striking rate of 146.89, with standout innings of 75 and 44 before delivering a breathtaking unbeaten 94 off 63 balls in Adelaide. The knock marked her highest T20I score in over five years and played a crucial role in Australia’s triumph over their arch-rivals.

Mooney’s recognition also marked the second consecutive month that an Australian cricketer won the award, following Annabel Sutherland’s win in December.

Celebrating her achievement, Mooney said, “It’s an honour to be named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month, and I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me. January was an incredible month for the Australian Women’s Cricket Team. Winning the Ashes in front of a home crowd was very special, and to complete the series playing in the first-ever day-night Test at the MCG in front of a record crowd for a Women’s Test is a moment that we will all never forget. This team continues to achieve amazing results, and I am so proud to be a part of it.”