As we are at the end of an exceptional and mesmerizing year of women’s cricket, it is time to honor the best talents for their successful contribution to the sport. Recognizing such talent, the International Cricket Council (ICC) gives the ICC awards for different categories across both women and men. While Tammy Beaumont made it to both the ODI and T20I Player of the year nominee list, Lizelle Lee, Hayley Matthews, Fatima Sana was nominated for ODI, and Smriti Mandhana, Gaby Lewis, Nat Sciver for T20Is.
Today, ICC announced the nominees for Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy-ICC Women’s Cricketer of the year for 2021. A list dominated by openers, here are the four most deserving ones for the award:
1. Tammy Beaumont (England):
Finding her name in three ICC individual awards categories for 2021, it has been a sensational year for the English opener, Tammy Beaumont. Finishing as the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket for the year, Beaumont smashed a total of 8 half-centuries along with a century aggregating 872 runs in 21 innings in the calendar year.
2. Smriti Mandhana (India):
The queen of women’s cricket in India, Smriti Mandhana was a player to watch out for in 2021. From scoring India’s first pink ball century to the first WBBL century by an Indian, Mandhana got her name registered in the record book a good number of times. She finished 2021 with 855 runs in 22 internationals smashing a century and five half-centuries.
3. Lizelle Lee (South Africa):
Representing South Africa, Lizelle Lee started 2021 with a duck in her first ODI of the year but she went on to finish not just as the leading ODI run-scorer of 2021 but also as the top-ranked ODI batter. Her aggregate for the national side this year was 864 runs in 19 innings with seven half-centuries and a century as well at an average of 57.6.
4. Gaby Lewis (Ireland):
Youngest among all the nominees, Irish cricketer Gaby Lewis got a total of 624 runs in 15 innings to her 2021 bag. Becoming the first Irish woman to hit a T20I century that too in just 55 balls, 20 years old Lewis had an average of 52 along with four half-centuries as well.
| Name | Country | Role | Innings/Matches | Runs | 50/100 | Average | ||||||
| Total | ODI | T20I | Test | Total | ODI | T20I | Test | |||||
| Tammy Beaumont | England | Batter | 21 | 11 | 9 | 1/1 | 872 | 503 | 303 | 66 | 8/1 | 48.44 |
| Smriti Mandhana | India | Batter | 22 | 11 | 9 | 4/2 | 855 | 352 | 255 | 244 | 5/1 | 38.86 |
| Lizelle Lee | South Africa | Batter | 19 | 11 | 8 | – | 864 | 632 | 232 | – | 7/1 | 57.6 |
| Gaby Lewis | Ireland | Batter | 15 | 5 | 10 | – | 624 | 299 | 325 | – | 4/1 | 52 |
Author of the poetry book ‘The Scent of Rhythm’, I am a passionate writer and a Sports enthusiast who writes on Cricket and plays Badminton.
