ICC announces nominees for Women’s ODI Player of the Year 2021

Tammy Beaumont of England, Lizelle Lee of South Africa, Hayley Matthews of West Indies, and Fatima Sana of Pakistan are the four nominees for 2021 for the best ODI player of the year as announced by ICC. Beaumont, Lee, and Matthews are openers. Sana is a young all-rounder who made her debut in May 2019.

Beaumont made 503 runs in 11 matches in 2021 at an average of 62.87, including a century and four half-centuries. She was the joint second-highest run-scorer in ODIs in 2021 along with India’s Mithali Raj. She started her year with 71 runs against New Zealand in February and helped England win that game. Beaumont went on to score three half-centuries in the next three innings. Her best score came against New Zealand in her last innings of the year as she made 102 runs and led England to a total of 347 runs for the loss of five wickets in 50 overs and won the player of the match award.

Hayley made 380 runs in 14 ODIs at an average of 29.23, including one century and one half-century. She also took 18 wickets at an average of 22.44 and an economy of 3.33. Hayley scored 168 runs against Pakistan at the start of the year and picked seven wickets. She won the player of the series award for this performance. She couldn’t perform well against South Africa as she could score only 71 runs and took two wickets. Hayley was again at her best when West Indies traveled to Pakistan as she made 132 runs and picked seven wickets. Her performance helped West Indies whitewash Pakistan.

Fatima Sana – Youngest nominee in ICC Awards 2021

Lee was the highest run-scorer this year in ODIs. She made 632 runs in 11 matches at an average of 90.28 and a strike rate of 79, including one century and five half-centuries. She scored a single-digit score only on two occasions this year. Her highest score of 132* came against India in March 2021 when South Africa toured India, which South Africa won by a 4-1 margin. Lee finished her 2021 by being the top run-scorer against West Indies in the four-match ODI series.

Sana is a 20-year-old all-rounder who has played 15 ODIs for Pakistan. She just played two ODIs for Pakistan in 2019 before this year. In 2021, she made 132 runs at a strike rate of 75 and picked 20 wickets at an average of 24.90, an economy of 5.61, and a strike rate of 26.6. When West Indies traveled to Pakistan in 2019, Sana was a net bowler and in 2021, she opened the bowling attack for Pakistan against West Indies.