Following a thrilling end to the first-ever ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa and a blockbuster month of cricket, the International Cricket Council has announced the names shortlisted for the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for January 2023.
The ICC Player of the Month awards honour the top cricketers who competed on the international stage during the preceding month, and the lineups for January 2023 include both seasoned professionals and promising newcomers who are vying for the honor. The ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award for January 2023 has a shortlist that includes two teenage young guns who are incredibly reliable. Phoebe Litchfield (AUS), Beth Mooney (AUS), and Grace Scrivens (England) have been nominated as the ICC women’s player of the month.
Phoebe Litchfield
The teenage superstar made an extravagant entry onto the international stage in January when she scored a staggering 154 runs against Pakistan in three one-day international matches while only being dismissed once. In the first game of the series in Brisbane, Litchfield scored an unbeaten 78 in her debut while maintaining her composure. She followed it up with an even more impressive inning of 67* in the second game. Even though Litchfield was dismissed for just 9 runs in the third and concluding game of the series in Sydney, it still gave the 19-year-old an astonishing ODI average of 154 after only three 50-over games at the international stage.
ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for January 2023
• Phoebe Litchfield
• Beth Mooney
• Grace ScrivensWho has your vote? #CricketTwitter
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) February 7, 2023
Beth Mooney
In the first match of the ODI series against Pakistan, Mooney was actually dismissed for just one run, but the 29-year-old batsman responded like many great players do by making a string of significant runs to win Player of the Series. The unbeaten 57* Mooney scored in the second game in Brisbane was just a preview of what was to come as she went on to score the third ODI century of her career while feasting on Pakistan’s defenceless bowlers in the series finale in Sydney.
Grace Scrivens
When she led her team to the final of the inaugural Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa last month, the young Englishwoman showed maturity beyond her years. As a result of Scrivens’ three half-centuries, 293 runs, and nine crucial wickets, England finished the tournament unbeaten, advancing to the title match against India in Potchefstroom. The 19-year-old can at least be proud of the consistent performances she gave on the big stage in what appeared to be the beginning of a successful international career, even though things didn’t turn out as planned for Scrivens or England in the final.
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