Chamari named in ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year 2024

Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu has been named in the ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year 2024, as announced by the International Cricket Council today.

The ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year 2024 brings together the most outstanding stars of the year, recognising their dominance in the 50-over game.

Let’s dive into the 11 players who left a lasting impact on the ODI format in the past year.

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)

458 runs and 9 wickets in 9 matches

Chamari Athapaththu had a delayed start to her ODI year, playing her first match in April, but she wasted no time making an impact. She struck a half-century in the second ODI against South Africa before producing a career-best knock of 195* in the final match.

Her outstanding form carried into Sri Lanka’s home series against West Indies, where the team secured a 3-0 clean sweep. Athapaththu played a pivotal role, smashing a brilliant 91 in the final ODI, narrowly missing out on a century by just nine runs.

In Sri Lanka’s final ODI series of the year in August, she continued to deliver with both bat and ball, including a vital contribution of 48 runs and 3/48 in the final match, showcasing her all-round abilities.

Athapaththu too is among the contenders for ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year.

Smriti Mandhana (India)

747 runs in 13 matches

Smriti Mandhana kickstarted her year with a run-a-ball 29 against Australia in January, but had to wait six months for her next ODIs, a home series against South Africa.

When she returned, Mandhana was in sublime form, beginning with back-to-back centuries in the first two ODIs against the Proteas. She narrowly missed a third consecutive ton, falling for 90, though her remarkable tally of 343 runs in the series earned her the Player of the Series award.

Mandhana had a shaky start in the first two ODIs against New Zealand in October, but ended the series on a high note with a brilliant century in the final match. With this hundred, Mandhana became the most prolific century-maker for India in the Women’s 50-over format.

A similar story unfolded during the away series against Australia, where she capped off in style with a century at the WACA.

She came close to back-to-back centuries in the opening ODI against West Indies but fell agonisingly short in the nervous nineties once again. Mandhana wrapped up the series with two half-centuries, finishing the year as the highest run-scorer in Women’s ODIs, amassing an impressive total of 747 runs.

The quality of Mandhana was such that she is also in the running for the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024 award.

Laura Wolvaardt (c) (South Africa)

697 runs in 12 matches

After a quiet start to the year in ODIs against Australia, Laura Wolvaardt embarked on a phenomenal run in the 50-over format, earning her a spot on the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024 shortlist.

Her incredible streak began with an unbeaten 110 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in April, followed by a career-best 184* in the second match. Wolvaardt continued her dominance with a run-a-ball 135 against India in Bengaluru, making it three centuries in just four games, and added a half-century in the final ODI of that series.

She capped off the year with a series of strong performances against England in December, including two crucial fifties, putting her second on the list for most ODI runs in the year.

Hayley Matthews (West Indies)

469 runs and 9 wickets in 7 matches

Hayley Matthews displayed her exceptional all-round abilities throughout 2024, starting the year in scintillating form against Pakistan in April. She hammered an unbeaten 140* in the opening ODI and followed it up with another brilliant knock of 141 in the third match, while also claiming six wickets across the series.

Matthews featured in just one ODI against Sri Lanka, scoring 38 before missing the remaining games due to illness, though returned strongly in a tour of India.

The West Indies skipper capped off the year with another century in Vadodara, and contributed with the ball, picking up three wickets across the series.

Marizanne Kapp (South Africa)

114 runs and 12 wickets in 11 matches

Marizanne Kapp started the year with a strong series against Australia in February, scoring an unbeaten 50* in the first ODI in Adelaide, before following it up with a crucial 75 and an impressive 3/12 in the second match.

While her contributions were quieter in the final ODI against Australia and the opening match against Sri Lanka in April, Kapp roared back to form with an unbeaten 77* in Kimberley in the final game of the series.

Her standout performance of the year came in Bengaluru during the second ODI against India, where she played a brilliant knock of 114. The innings anchored South Africa’s chase, though the team fell heartbreakingly short in a four-run defeat.

Kapp finished the year on a high against England, delivering with both bat and ball, claiming three wickets each in the first and third ODIs while adding 60 runs across the series.

Ashleigh Gardner (Australia)

269 runs and 20 wickets in 12 matches

A player who consistently delivers with both bat and ball, Ash Gardner kicked off the year with an all-round performance, contributing 30 runs and a wicket against India on 2 January.

She followed up with a strong series against South Africa at home, scoring 35 runs and taking 2 wickets in the second ODI, again a key cog in Australia’s commanding display.

Gardner continued to shine in the series against Bangladesh in Mirpur, delivering impactful performances across the three matches. Her unbeaten 20* in the second ODI complemented her bowling efforts, while a brilliant 3-wicket haul in the third match helped Australia wrap up the series in style.

She ended the year strongly with a remarkable performance against India, scoring a stunning fifty and taking five wickets in the same game, followed by an impressive 74 off 62 balls against New Zealand.

Annabel Sutherland (Australia)

369 runs and 13 wickets in 12 matches

Annabel Sutherland started the year with a solid two-wicket haul in Australia’s victory over India in Mumbai, but she had a quieter outing during the three-match home series against South Africa.

While she didn’t get much of a chance to shine during Australia’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh in March, Sutherland made her opportunities count, scoring an unbeaten 58 in the opening game at Mirpur.

She saved her best for the end of the year, delivering standout performances against India and New Zealand in the final months. Sutherland smashed back-to-back centuries against both teams and earned Player of the Series honours for her exceptional displays against India.

Her remarkable year earned her a spot in the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year shortlist.

Amy Jones (WK) (England)

382 runs and 15 dismissals in 12 matches

Amy Jones started the year in superb form, making 92*, 48 and 50 against New Zealand in April. Her 190 runs at a strike rate of 108.57 earned her the Player of the Series award, helping England to a 2-1 series victory.

She followed this up with scores of 27 and 37 in the three-match series against Pakistan in May, with the second game washed out due to rain.

England’s dominant top-order performances during New Zealand’s inbound tour meant that Jones only batted once in the series, but she made the most of her opportunity, scoring an unbeaten 50 in Bristol as England completed an emphatic clean sweep against the White Ferns.

The 31-year-old finished the year on a positive note with an unbeaten 49 off 36 balls against South Africa in Potchefstroom.

Reliable as ever behind the stumps, Jones affected 15 dismissals (12 catches and 3 stumpings) across 12 matches.

Deepti Sharma (India)

24 wickets and 186 runs in 13 matches

Deepti Sharma began the year with a gritty all-round performance in the lone ODI against Australia at Wankhede in January, scoring an unbeaten 25 runs and taking a wicket.

In the three-match series against South Africa in Bengaluru in June, Deepti showcased her bowling brilliance, picking up two wickets in each of the three matches. In her only opportunity to bat, she scored a crucial 37 in the opening game.

Deepti starred in the ODI series against New Zealand in October, earning Player of the Match honours for her 41 runs and figures of 1/41 in the opening game. She followed up with a strong showing in the second match, taking 2/30 in a losing cause, and was the standout bowler in the final ODI, spinning India to victory with figures of 3/39.

For her six wickets and 56 runs in the series, she was named Player of the Series.

Although she had a quiet series against Australia in November, Deepti closed the year with a sensational performance against the West Indies in December. In the final ODI, she dismantled the batting lineup with an outstanding 6/31, before scoring an unbeaten 39 to guide India to victory.

Sophie Ecclestone (England)

21 wickets in 11 matches

Sophie Ecclestone has long been a symbol of excellence and consistency, and 2024 was no different as she started and finished the year as the No.1 Women’s ODI Bowler.

She began the year with a wicket in each of the three ODIs against New Zealand, maintaining an impressive economy rate of just 3.13 runs per over in those games.

Ecclestone returned to her wicket-taking best against Pakistan in May, claiming three wickets in both the first and third ODIs, while the second match in Taunton was washed out. For her six wickets, she was named Player of the Series.

Although she featured in only two of the three ODIs during New Zealand’s inbound tour, Ecclestone made her mark in both matches. She picked up two wickets in the first game and followed it up with a brilliant five-wicket haul in the second match, the second of her ODI career.

The 25-year-old finished her year with five wickets across three matches against South Africa. With 21 wickets, she finished second in the highest wicket-taker charts in Women’s ODIs for 2024.

Kate Cross (England)

19 wickets in 13 matches

Kate Cross had a sensational year in ODI cricket in 2024, cementing her place as one of the premier seam bowlers in the women’s game.

She started the year with a commanding performance against New Zealand in Wellington, where she bowled a superb spell of 2/24 (10), setting the tone for the series. She followed it up with a tight 1/28 in Hamilton.

Cross was consistently among the wickets throughout the year, claiming six scalps against New Zealand in April, three against Pakistan in May, and another three against New Zealand during the English summer.

-ICC