Luke Wright’s blender, James Vince’s hairdryer, Eoin Morgan’s rice cooker – 7 weird player of the match prizes

Jonhenry Wilson 18 Apr 2025

James Vince won a hairdryer in the Pakistan Super League.

In the world of sports, ‘Player of the Match’ awards are typically associated with trophies, medals, or cash prizes. However, there have been instances where athletes received unconventional gifts, reflecting local culture, sponsor promotions, or unique traditions.

These awards often add a quirky twist to post-match ceremonies, making them memorable for players and fans alike.

In a week that has seen a couple of peculiar awards making news around the world, we take a look at some of the weirder prizes received – this is not exclusive to cricket…

1. James Vince receives a hairdryer in the Pakistan Super League

It made headlines recently because it was frankly a little unusual… Shortly after the start of the latest season of the Pakistan Super league English cricketer James Vince was awarded a hairdryer for his ‘Most Reliable Player of the Match’ performance.

Representing the Karachi Kings, Vince’s unexpected prize sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with many amused by the unconventional choice of award – at east the Hampshire man sports a full head of hair.

2. Jhye Richardson gets shoelaces

Awards handed out to players who have performed well are not mandatory. But if they are going to be given it feels like a degree of thought and some value should be involved. That certainly wasn’t the case back in 2018/19 when the India toured Australia.

Named man of the match in the first ODI of the series following a return of four for 26, Richardson was handed a set of shoelaces and a bat grip. It almost feels like the organizers forgot to arrange prizes and ended up gifting whatever they could find in the boots of cars.

3. Eoin Morgan gets a rice cooker in Dhaka Premier League

During the 2013 Dhaka Premier League, former England captain Eoin Morgan received a rice cooker as a ‘Player of the Match’ award.

The award, sponsored by a local brand, was seen as a humorous nod to his performance under pressure, drawing parallels between cooking rice and handling high-stress situations on the field.

Also read: Sir James Anderson joins list of 13 famous cricketers who have been knighted

4. Luke Wright wins a blender

In another instance from the Dhaka Premier League, English all-rounder Luke Wright was presented with a blender for his ‘Player of the Match’ performance.

Wright took the unusual award in stride, even sharing a photo on social media with the caption, “Pleased we won my first match for Abahani today. Have to say I have never been given a blender for MoM before.”

5. Nicholas Pooran gets an electric guitar

Nicholas Pooran is in the form of his life at the moment and has been, going well for a couple of seasons. You might even say that his form is electric. Back in 2023 Pooran was named player of the series following a five match T20I series between the West Indies and India.

His ward was a cheque and an electric guitar. While some West Indian cricketers are famous for their musical abilities, most notably Richie Richardson and Curtley Ambrose who play rhythm guitar and bass respectively for a group known as the ‘Spirited Band’, it is unclear if Pooran is as skilled with the guitar as he is with the bat.

6. South African footballer Hlompho wins five gigs of data

In South Africa’s Telkom Knockout football competition, the sponsors saw fit to gift Mamelodi Sundowns skipper and player of the match a voucher for five gigs of data.

He may have preferred a phone, but given the cost of data in the country at the time it was a fairly generous prize.

7. Sondre Dvergsdal awarded a freshly slaughtered pig in Norwegian Cup

Not cricket related but unconventional nevertheless, and also from earlier in the week, Norwegian footballer Sondre Dvergsdal received a freshly slaughtered pig as a ‘Player of the Match’ award. It wasn’t just a ham he received either, it was a whole pig, 50 pounds of it.

Dvergsdal isn’t the only footballer to have received fresh produce either. In 2019 current Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard was awarded a freshly caught fish after being named as Real Sociedad’s Player of the Month.