ICC announces nominees for Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2024
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The International Cricket Council (ICC) Monday announced the nominees for the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2024.
The nominees include South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, Australia’s Annabel Sutherland, and New Zealand’s Melie Kerr.
Notably, no players from Pakistan made the list, highlighting a challenging year for Pakistan’s women’s cricket team in 2024.
Chamari Athapaththu earned her nomination following an exceptional year for Sri Lanka.
The 34-year-old amassed 458 runs in nine ODIs at an average of 65.42, including a record-breaking highest score of 195.
On the bowling front in the 50-over format, she claimed nine wickets with best figures of 3/15.
Despite a surprising dip in form during the Women’s T20 World Cup, Chamari finished the year as the tournament’s second-highest scorer.
Overall, she scored 720 runs in 21 matches in 2024 at an average of 40, including two centuries and four fifties, while hitting 86 fours and 32 sixes.
With the ball, she was equally impressive, taking 21 wickets at an average of 16.8, with her best figures being 4/24.
Proteas star Laura Wolvaardt had a remarkable year, scoring 697 runs in 12 ODIs at an impressive average of 87.12.
In the Test format, she added 223 runs across three matches, averaging 37.16.
In T20Is, Wolvaardt contributed 673 runs in 19 matches at an average of 39.58, including her maiden T20I century that guided South Africa to victory against the Island Nation in Benoni.
Australia’s Annabel Sutherland showcased her all-round brilliance in 2024. In a single Test match, she smashed 210 runs and achieved a five-wicket haul, with best bowling figures of 3/19.
In ODIs, Sutherland scored 369 runs across 12 matches and claimed 13 wickets, with her best bowling performance being 4/39.
Melie Kerr played a crucial role in New Zealand’s maiden Women’s T20 World Cup victory and set a national record for the most wickets in a calendar year.
Her standout performance came during the T20 World Cup, where she scored 135 runs and took 15 wickets.
Throughout 2024, Kerr scored 387 runs in 18 T20Is at an average of 24.18 and claimed 29 wickets at an average of 15.55, with best figures of 4/20.
In ODIs, she added 264 runs in nine matches at an average of 33 and took 14 wickets, with her best performance being 4/42.