New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS): All-rounders, Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner, England vice-captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu have been nominated for ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2023 award.
Ashleigh had a tremendous all-round year for Australia in ODIs in 2023, chipping in with both bat and ball. In three of Australia's four bilateral series in 2023, no player had more wickets than her. To start the year, Ashleigh picked five wickets in the three-match ODI series against Pakistan at home in January.
In the ODI leg of the Women’s Ashes, Ashleigh picked up three wickets in each of the three matches and even added 95 runs to go with it. Her exceptional performance against Ireland earned her the Player of the Series award, taking four wickets and amassing 65 runs across two matches.
Adding to her impressive tally, she secured three more wickets against West Indies, concluding the year as the highest wicket-taker in Women's ODIs. Not only did Ashleigh shine with the ball, but she also played a crucial role with the bat, scoring her runs with an average of 31.33.
On the other hand, Nat won the award for 2022 and is now in contention to make it back-to-back wins in 2023. Despite playing just six matches in 2023, she forced her way into the shortlist with multiple standout performances.
Nat played a vital role in England's 2-1 series victory in the ODI leg of the Women’s Ashes. She smashed two centuries while also picking up three wickets and became Player of the Series. The 31-year-old added another century for the year with a fiery 74-ball 120 against Sri Lanka that was laced with 18 fours and a six. She took home the Player of the Match as England completed a 2-0 victory over the visitors.
Amelia has earned a second consecutive nomination for the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award. The leg-spin all-rounder was one of the few bright spots for New Zealand when they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Sri Lanka in June-July.
In the rain-reduced first match, she top-scored with 40 off 51 balls to push New Zealand to 170 in 28 overs. She starred in the White Ferns’ only win of the series with a century and a wicket.
Amelia then stitched a 229-run stand with captain Sophie Devine to propel her side to 329/7. With the ball, she kept it tight with figures of 1-34.
Though New Zealand fell to another 2-1 series loss to South Africa in September-October, Amelia did much of the heavy lifting with a fifty in the second ODI and a Player of the Match-winning century in the third. Amelia was the Player of the Series in New Zealand’s final ODI assignment of the year against Pakistan with two fifties to go with five wickets in the three-match series.
Chamari, meanwhile, showcased exceptional skills and leadership throughout the year, excelling both as a captain and a player in the ODI format. She started the year as captain with a 1-0 win in a rain-truncated series over Bangladesh. With the first two matches not producing a result due to rain, the final match turned into a decider. In a 30-over-a-side game, Chamari stroked a 60-ball 64 laced with six fours and four sixes to propel Sri Lanka to 186.
With the ball, she got rid of her opposite number and top-scorer Nigar Sultana to put Sri Lanka in pole position for victory. Her finest hours as a player and captain came against New Zealand, where Sri Lanka recorded their first-ever bilateral series win (2-1) over them.
Chamari starred in both victories through a couple of fiery centuries that blew New Zealand away. Her 108 not out and 140 not out came in pressure chases and on both occasions, the opener was at the crease to guide her team to victory. Her significance in the team became even more evident when Sri Lanka suffered a 2-0 defeat to England, largely due to her lean returns.