Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
Derbyshire batter wins again as Stars go back-to-back with PCA awards.
Derbyshire and the South East Stars have doubled up PCA Player of the Month successes in 2022 with opener Shan Masood winning his second award in three months and Kalea Moore following teammate Aylish Cranstone in being voted a winner.
Masood was identified as one of the top four performers in domestic men’s cricket in June according to the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings. He joined Will Jacks, James Vince, and Wayne Madsen, with a public poll deciding the winner, the Pakistani batter received 73% of the public vote with Vince in second position with 11%.
Stars all-rounder Moore impressed in a short month with a maximum of four fixtures due to the conclusion of the Charlotte Edwards Cup. The 19-year-old was up against her captain Bryony Smith, Georgia Adams and Eve Jones and edged out the 2021 MVP, finishing with 49% of the supporter vote, 7% ahead of Jones.
Masood voted best player in June
Masood scored an incredible 649 runs in June with three Match MVPs to continue his consistent run of form opening the batting.
The 32-year-old has received a call-up to the Pakistan Test squad and travels for international duty off the back of 192 MVP points in a calendar month which leaves him top of the Overall MVP in the race for the £10,000 prize.
“The most important requirement of the game is consistency,” said Masood. “The game is fast and is evolving. People pick up on opposition and they catch you out so there is no time to fall asleep so you always have to evolve.
“To back up my early season form and to win the award again shows the levels of consistency. The most exciting thing from a personal point of view was April was all about the red-ball game but this month was about a heavy fixture list with white and red-ball so by maintaining form and consistency in a month like June was the most satisfying element for me and to finish it with an award makes it most exciting.”
In contention for promotion in the LV= Insurance County Championship and a quarter final in the Vitality Blast to come, Derbyshire have been a team on the rise in 2022 and Masood has enjoyed being part of the early season success and has a nod or two in appreciation to the PCA Player of the Month shortlist.
“A lot of people have liked the look of Derbyshire and the way we have been playing and it all starts with the team. As an individual I like to see myself in the same equation, I want to be a favourite amongst my own fans but also a neutrals favourite, when I go to other grounds I also want them to like me as a player.
“I am grateful in terms of the votes that I have had and it was a month where I saw the shortlist and I was surrounded by three really good players. I think James Vince is probably my favourite player when it comes to watching cricket, as a fan you’d always like him to win.
“Wayne Madsen has had a great season and he has allowed me to play well and I have learnt so much from being around him and he is the goat when it comes to Derbyshire cricket and also county cricket. I hope I can play with him for many years.”
“International cricket shouldn’t change Shan Masood the player or the person, it is still another game of cricket.”
SHAN MASOOD
The top run scorer in the Championship across both divisions, the opener has left the county to meet up with the Pakistan squad ahead of their series against Sri Lanka in great form. He is aiming to continue his same approach that has stood him in good stead in 2022 whilst aiming to finish the domestic season on a high.
“I am very excited to be back in the national set-up and the onus is on me to be the same as I have been over here. International cricket shouldn’t change Shan Masood the player or the person, it is still another game of cricket and I think things start getting better when you play every game the same.
“I am grateful for the set-up created by Derbyshire and the county cricket set-up that has allowed me to thrive as a player and I have learnt a lot. I have always considered scoring runs to be a by-product.”
“It is exciting thinking of coming back after the Test series in Sri Lanka and hopefully I can finish the season on a high with an amazing club. The players and staff have allowed me to settle in and make me feel at home by really allowing me to enjoy my cricket so I’m really looking forwards to coming back.”
Moore wins women’s poll for June
Moore scored 42 MVP points from just three outings in June and starred on Finals Day, taking figures of 2-20 and hitting 34 valuable runs to give her the Match MVP in the play-off.
Also taking 3-4 against Western Storm in the group stage, her 20-over form is underlining her potential as a future star of the game.
“I’m really glad that I won, it just shows the hard work is paying off,” said Moore. “It was hard for us in the play-off to not get through but as a team in general we were strong throughout the competition and I had a great time myself in the play-off.
“We would have liked the win on Finals Day but from a personal perspective I was pleased with how I went, even though it wasn’t the biggest score, I think my 34 was important whilst batting with ADR (Alice Davidson-Richards) and the two wickets helped us to have a chance.
“I’ve had a good start to the season and hopefully I can carry it on throughout into the 50-over competition. In T20 I have seen a big progression this year and I want to be the best player I can be across 20 and 50-over cricket.”
The Stars spinner is the highest ranked individual in the MVP Rankings who is not a professional player, currently in 10th spot. With the women’s game expanding year-on-year, Moore is aiming to make the next step into the full-time professional environment.
“It would be nice to get a contract next year. With the progress I am making this year, hopefully people can realise I do deserve that.
“I’m always trying to progress, whatever stage you are at in your career. I want to make it to the top and I want to continue giving my best this season and show everybody what I can do to hopefully get a contract.
“I don’t want to just be playing for a contract, I want to keep enjoying my cricket and showing my talent.”
“It makes me want to reach the highest level even more.”
KALEA MOORE
June’s Player of the Month is already showing her ability on a bigger platform, recently playing for England A in a three-day game fixture against the touring South African team. An experience that has provided greater motivation to be amongst the elite players on a daily basis.
“It was an amazing experience with such a high standard of girls. Learning things from them was quite wonderful and it was my first ever three-day game so to do it in that environment was great against the South Africans.
“It makes me want to reach the highest level even more.”
Find out more about the PCA MVP Rankings and view the men’s and women’s tables.
Name of Author: Professional Cricketers Association
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), founded in 1967 by former England fast bowler Fred Rumsey as the Cricketers’ Association, represents past and present first-class cricketers in England and Wales. In the 1970s, the PCA established a standard employment contract and minimum wage for professional cricketers. It also helped create a pension scheme in 1995 and launched the magazine All Out Cricket and the ACE UK Educational Programme in 2002.
