Amelia Kerr Named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has honored New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr with the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year.

This award recognizes the top female cricketer across all formats during the calendar year, and Kerr’s remarkable 2024 performance has earned her this distinction. She becomes the first New Zealander to win the trophy after a stellar year that saw her lead the White Ferns to their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup victory.

In T20Is alone, Kerr scored 387 runs and claimed 29 wickets at an impressive average of 15.55. Her brilliance was most evident during the World Cup, where she set a new record for the most wickets in a single edition (15) and was named Player of the Tournament.

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In the final, facing a formidable South African team, Kerr’s all-round performance played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s victory. She contributed 43 runs from 38 balls and then took three crucial wickets, removing Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch, with figures of 3 for 24, to help secure a 32-run win.

Although her T20I feats were the highlight of her year, Kerr also impressed in ODIs, amassing 264 runs at an average of 33.00 and taking 14 wickets, which included two four-wicket hauls against India and Australia.

Kerr triumphed over other contenders, including South African captain Wolvaardt, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland, to claim the award. This win follows her earlier success in being named the Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year.

“It’s a huge honor to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year,” Kerr said. “Individual awards aren’t something you think about much, but this one is extremely special. It’s nice to be able to contribute to New Zealand, as that’s all any cricketer wants—working hard and putting out performances for their teammates. I’m very grateful for the support network around me.”

The ICC Awards 2024 announcements will conclude later on Tuesday, with the eagerly awaited Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year to be revealed.