The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the applicants for the Women’s Cricketer of the Year award, as one player, each from New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, and South Africa has made their way into the prestigious list.
The nomination of the ICC award starts with the captain of South Africa, Laura Wolvaardt, who smashed 697 runs in 12 ODIs at an average of 87 and the highest score of unbeaten 184 runs, besides grabbing 223 Test runs in three encounters at 37.16, followed by 673 runs in nine T20Is at nearly 40. The opening batter leads the list in the 50-over format rankings, as she cracked the 184* against Sri Lanka in Potchefstroom in April.
The best moment for the 25-year-old came in April in that contest. She smashed 23 boundaries and four towering sixes in a remarkable solo effort. That knock helped the Proteas to put a total of 301/5 against the visiting Sri Lankan side.
The second player to feature in the list of this ICC award is Chamari Athapaththu, the captain of Sri Lanka, who notched up 458 runs in nine ODIs at 65.42 with the highest score of 195, besides collecting nine wickets at the best figure of 3/15. In the shortest format of the game, she nailed 720 T20I runs in 21 contests at 40, besides taking 21 wickets with the best figure of 4/29.
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The all-format leader of the side produced some excellent records with the bat for her country. A stellar year with over 1000 runs across formats and 30 wickets in the bag underlined her position as one of the most impactful players in women’s cricket. She won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award with 304 runs and three wickets at the Asia Cup, which they went on to win.
Melie Kerr and Annabel Sutherland among nominees of ICC Women’s Cricketer of 2024
The best moment for her was against South Africa when he managed the third-highest individual score in women’s ODI history with 195 runs in 139 balls to guide them over the line. Her innings included some colorful boundaries and sixes.
The third player to make the list of the ICC rewards is Anabel Sutherland from Australia, with the help of 210 runs in one Test, the highest score of 210, picked up five wickets. In the 12 ODIs she has been part of, she managed 369 runs at an average of 52.71 with the highest score of 110 and collected 13 wickets at the best figures of 4/39 in an innings.
Sutherland, in February, headlined with a record-breaking double century against South Africa while batting at six at the WACA in Perth. He became the first player in the history of women’s ODIs to celebrate successful centuries while batting at five or lower than that.
That was her best moment of the year with the ball, while with the ball, in the same affair, she took 3/19 in the first innings, backed up by 2/11 in the second to power them to a mammoth win.
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The fourth and final player on the list is New Zealand’s Melie Kerr, who grabbed 264 runs in nine ODIs at 33 besides picking up 14 wickets at the best figure of 4/42, while in the shortest format, she drilled 387 runs and added 29 wickets in 18 T20Is.
She contributed to their ICC T20 World Cup winning campaign thanks to 135 runs and 15 wickets with the ball, a record for the tournament. In the final against South Africa in Dubai, she smashed 43 runs in 38 balls before ending with 3/24 to carry them to their maiden title and earned the Player of the Match and Series award.