We are just a few days away from the ICC individuals awards announced for 2021. While we eagerly wait for the results, ICC on Thursday announced their Women’s ODI Team of the Year for 2021. The exceptional English batter Tammy Beaumont who made it to the nominees of both the individual awards as well as the T20I team of the year, marked her fourth consecutive appearance in the ODI team while it was the third consecutive one for Alyssa Healy and also the third one Marizanne Kapp who missed it out in 2019.
MilJhul have made us proud (again) 😍#CWC22 pic.twitter.com/G770gV1TZo
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 21, 2022
Check out the complete team below:
1. Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
Leading the top order is the top-ranked ODI batter from South Africa who finished 2021 as the leading ODI run-scorer. Being nominated for Women’s ODI Cricketer of the year as well as Women’s Cricketer of the year, Lee aggregated 632 runs in 11 ODIs and also smashed the year’s shared highest individual score of the format (132*) along with five half-centuries at an average of 90.28.
2. Alyssa Healy (wk) (Australia)
Joining Lee as an opener as well as given the charge of the team’s wicketkeeper, Australia’s Alyssa Healy aggregated 267 runs in just 6 ODIs at 44.50 in 2021 which includes two half-centuries and the best score of 77. Regarded as one of the best batters of women’s cricket, Healy is just a place behind Lee ICC ODI batting ranking.
3. Tammy Beaumont (England)
2021 was a year worth cherishing for the English opener Tammy Beaumont. Along with an outstanding display with the bat in the T20Is, she also made a mark in the ODIs scoring four consecutive half-centuries to begin the year and ending it with a century taking the aggregate to 503 runs at 62.87.
4. Mithali Raj (India)
The all-time leading ODI run-scorer, Indian captain Mithali Raj ended 2021 tied with Tammy Beaumont at the 2nd position in the ODI run-scorer tally for the year. Smashing six half-centuries, Raj yet again kept the runs coming when her team needed it the most and had the same average of 62.87 as Beaumont.
ICC’s ODI Team of the Year was announced earlier today.
Who else, according to you, deserved a place in this team? pic.twitter.com/r7hjeyfCSw
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 20, 2022
5. Heather Knight (c) (England)
England’s skipper Heather Knight has been given the charge to lead the ODI team of the year as well. Considered as one of the greatest run-scorers especially in the middle order, Knight showed her class in 2021 as well accumulating 423 runs in 11 matches at 42.30 including a century and 3 half-centuries as well.
6. Marizanne Kapp (South Africa)
The star all-rounder from South Africa never fails to do the job when her team requires her to, then be it with the bat or the ball. Ranked as the best ODI all-rounder, Kapp aggregated 183 runs with the bat at 61 and 11 wickets with the ball at 29.18 in 2021. Her brilliant performance made her a part of the T20I Team of the year as well.
7. Hayley Matthews (West Indies)
The West Indies all-rounder, Hayley Matthews was probably the most improved all-rounder for the year which is evident from the ODI all-rounder ranking where she stepped up into the top 10 and has also got her name nominated to Women’s ODI Cricket of the year. With a century and a half-century, the November player of the month award winner aggregated 380 runs in 14 matches and also took 18 wickets recording the best spell of 4/26.
8. Fatima Sana (Pakistan)
The young Pakistani all-rounder, Fatima Sana was the joint highest wicket-taker of 2021. Though played just two ODIs before the year, Sana’s performance was an exceptional one as the 20-years old recorded her best ODI spell of 5/39 taking 20 wickets at 24.90 in the year and even contributing a total of 132 runs as a lower-order batter. She is also nominated for the Women’s ODI cricket of the year award as well.
9. Jhulan Goswami (India)
Joining Raj is her legendary teammate Jhulan Goswami who is the overall leading wicket-taker in ODIs and is currently ranked as the second-best ODI bowler. She made 2021 yet another brilliant year as she took a total of 15 wickets in 10 matches, leading the bowling attack as well as contributing crucial runs with the bat too for the women in blue yet again. Her best figure of the year was 4/42 while she maintained an economy of 3.77.
10. Shabnim Ismail (South Africa)
Accompanying her teammate Kapp in the ODI team of the year as well, Proteas bowler Shabnim Ismail ended 2021 as the 2nd highest wicket-taker. Tied with Hayley Matthews, the sixth-ranked ODI bowler took 18 wickets in 12 matches recording the best spell of 3/22 with an economy of just 4.11 and an average of 23.33.
11. Anisa Mohammed (West Indies)
The joint highest wicket-taker for 2021, the off-spinner from West Indies, Anisa Mohammed was another player to watch out for this year. Being one of the most economical bowlers for the year, Anisa took 20 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 18.00 with the best figure of 4/27 and an economy rate of 3.61.
Performance in 2021
| Name | Country | Role | Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Wickets | Best Spell | Average | |
| Bat | Bowl | ||||||||
| Lizelle Lee | South Africa | Batter | 11 | 632
(50s-5, 100-1) |
132* | – | – | 90.28 | – |
| Alyssa Healy | Australia | Wicket-keeper Batter | 6 | 267
(50s- 2) |
77 | – | – | 44.50 | – |
| Tammy Beaumont | England | Batter | 11 | 503
(50s-4, 100-1) |
102 | – | – | 62.87 | – |
| Mithali Raj | India | Batter | 11 | 503 (10 innings, 50s-6) | 79* | – | – | 62.87 | – |
| Heather Knight | England | Batter | 11 | 423 (50s-3, 100-1) | 101 | – | – | 42.30 | – |
| Hayley Matthews | West Indies | All-rounder | 14 | 380
(50s-1, 100-1) |
100* | 18 | 4/26 | 29.23 | 22.44 |
| Marizanne Kapp | South Africa | All-rounder | 10 | 183 (6 innings, 50s-1) | 68* | 11 | 3/24 | 61.00 | 29.18 |
| Shabnim Ismail | South Africa | Bowler | 12 | – | – | 18 | 3/22 | – | 23.33 |
| Fatima Sana | Pakistan | All-rounder | 13 | 132 | 28* | 20 | 5/39 | 14.66 | 24.90 |
| Jhulan Goswami | India | Bowler | 10 | 86 (8 innings) | 28* | 15 | 4/42 | 28.66 | 23.13 |
| Anisa Mohammed | Bangladesh | Bowler | 12 | – | – | 20 | 4/27 | – | 18.00 |
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.