ICC announces Women's ODI team of the year, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami included

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the women’s ODI team of the year 2021. India’s ODI and Test skipper Mithali Raj and veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami have made it to the team unlike their male counterparts. Notably, none of the players from India’s men’s team made it to the men’s ODI team of the year. England’s Heather Knight has been named the captain of the side. South Africa’s Lizelle Lee and Australia’s wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy are named in the opening slot.

Another English player Tammy Beaumont will take care of the number three slot. Raj is slotted at number four just like she does in national colors. Knight will slotted at number five while West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews is slated at number six. Proteas all-rounder Marizanne Kapp slotted at seven. Kapp’s teammate Shabnam Ismail is the first player in the bowling department. All-rounder Fatima Sana from Pakistan, Jhulan Goswami and Anisa Mohammed complete the bowling unit.

ODI numbers of the players included in the team

Lizelle Lee

With 632 runs, Lizelle Lee finished as the highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs in 2021. The South African wicketkeeper-batter played only 11 matches in the calendar year and recorded an outstanding batting average of 90.28, with one century and five half-centuries. She batted with a strike-rate of 79.00 – the third-highest among batters with a minimum of 300 runs in the calendar year.

Alyssa Healy (wk) 

Alyssa Healy accumulated 267 runs in just six ODIs in 2021, at an excellent average of 44.50. She scored two fifties, including a best of 77 which came against India at home in September.

Tammy Beaumont  

The England opener amassed 503 runs at an average of 62.87, and thus finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the format in 2021. Beaumont scored one century and four fifties, thus playing a crucial role in England’s success as a team.

Mithali Raj 

Mithali Raj amassed the same number of runs as Beaumont and at exactly the same average. She didn’t score any century this year but made a total of six half-centuries.

Heather Knight (c)

Knight accumulated a total of 423 runs this year, at an average of 42.30, including one century and three fifties. She also played a key role with the ball, chipping in with five wickets at an average of 19.80.

Marizanne Kapp 

The South African all-rounder scored runs at an outstanding strike-rate of 98.91. She amassed a total of 183 runs in 2021 at an average of 61, including a best of 68* which came against Pakistan in Durban in the month of January. The 32-year-old picked up 11 wickets at an average of 29.18.

Hayley Matthews 

The West Indies all-rounder accumulated a total of 380 runs in the year, including one century and a fifty. She picked up 18 wickets at an outstanding average of 22.44.

Fatima Sana 

The Pakistani all-rounder finished the year as the joint-highest wicket-taker, with 20 wickets to her name in just 13 matches. Even though her economy of 5.61 was a bit on the higher side, Sana picked up her wickets at an excellent strike-rate of 26.6. She amassed 132 runs at an average of 14.66.

Jhulan Goswami 

The 39-year-old claimed a total of 15 wickets in 2021 and maintained an excellent economy rate of 3.77 as well.

Shabnim Ismail 

With 18 wickets, Shabnim Ismail finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker in 2021. A reliable pacer both with the new-ball and at the death, Ismail was a consistent performer for South Africa throughout the course of the 12 matches she played – going at an economy of only 4.11 runs per over.

Anisa Mohammed 

The Caribbean off-spinner finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 20 wickets to her name at an outstanding average of 18.00. She was one of the most economical bowlers in the year once again, conceding only 3.61 runs per over.

ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year for 2021: Heather Knight (captain), Lizelle Lee, Alyssa Healy (wicketkeeper), Mithali Raj, Hayley Matthews, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Fatima Sana, Jhulan Goswami, Anisa Mohammed