In a unprecedented milestone for Caribbean cricket, the small island nation of Barbados has claimed a historic sweep of the International Cricket Council’s top monthly awards, taking home both the men’s and women’s Player of the Month honors for July. All-rounders Justin Greaves and Hayley Matthews, both representing Barbados and the West Indies national side, not only pulled off a one-of-a-kind double for the region but also etched their names into ICC award history. This marked the first time since the monthly awards launched in January 2021 that two Caribbean cricketers have secured both top honors in the same calendar month, and only the fifth occasion that players from the same cricket nation have won both awards simultaneously.
Greaves, 31, earned his first-ever ICC Player of the Month award after a string of standout two-innings performances with both bat and ball in Test matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, beating out two high-profile competitors: England men’s captain Harry Brook and Bangladesh opening batsman Tanzid Hasan.
His contributions were pivotal to securing a Test series win for the West Indies against Sri Lanka. After the visiting Sri Lankan side posted a massive 549/9 in the first innings of the second Test at North Sound, Greaves responded with a match-turning 180 to steady the West Indies innings and set up the eventual series victory. Just weeks later, he delivered an equally dominant bowling display in the opening Test against Pakistan in Trinidad, taking 7 wickets total across the two innings – including a stunning 5/27 in the first innings – to help the West Indies secure a 90-run win.
Speaking after receiving the award, Greaves reflected on the career-defining month: “I have had a memorable month playing at home, and to have contributed with both bat and ball against Sri Lanka and Pakistan has been particularly special for me. Having impactful performances in Test cricket is always something I will cherish, especially when they come in front of our home fans.”
On the women’s side, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews extended her already unrivaled record in the award category, capturing her fifth ICC Player of the Month honor – more than any other player in the history of the scheme. Matthews dominated during the West Indies’ three-match ODI clean sweep against Ireland, turning in elite performances with both bat and ball that left no question of her worthiness for the award. She hit centuries in the first two matches of the series, finishing with a total of 265 runs at an extraordinary average of 132.50 and a strike rate of 117.25. With the ball, she was equally unplayable, picking up seven wickets across the series at an average of 17.57, and claimed at least two wickets in every match to cement the series sweep. She edged out England women’s captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sri Lankan batter Harshitha Samarawickrama to claim the top spot.
Matthews expressed her gratitude for the recognition, noting that the award still holds the same meaning for her as her first: “I am thrilled to win the ICC Player of the Month award once again. It is just as special as the previous ones, and I hope it inspires me to keep raising my standards, contributing to the West Indies, and winning more such awards in the future.”
Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley publicly celebrated the pair’s achievement in a social media statement, highlighting that the feat is even more remarkable given the ICC’s 111-member global footprint. “Sport is culture. It is national identity. It tells the world who we are,” she wrote. “Our size has never been the measure of our strength, nor the limit of our influence.”