New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr has bagged her maiden Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy after being named the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2024. She becomes the first from her country to win the prestigious trophy after helping New Zealand end their T20I World Cup drought in Dubai in October last year.
The Kiwi all-rounder was also named the ICC T20I Women’s Cricketer of the Year. She scored 387 runs and claimed 29 wickets at an average of 15.55 in T20Is in 2024, securing both the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament in UAE after an all-round show of 43 & 3-24 in the World Cup final against South Africa. She topped the wicket charts with 15 scalps at an average of 7.33 to go along with her 135 runs in six innings.
Kerr fared well in 50-overs cricket as well, hitting 264 runs at an average of 33.00 and scalping 14 wickets which included four-wicket hauls against both India and Australia.
Kerr pipped South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu and Australia allrounder Annabel Sutherland to earn the coveted prize, backing up her Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year accolade.
“It’s a huge honour to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year,” Kerr said. “I guess for me individual awards aren’t something you think about much, but this is an extremely special one.
“It’s nice to be able to contribute for New Zealand, I guess that’s all any cricketer wants is to work hard and put out performances for their teammates. There are so many people that have helped me achieve what I have, and I’m very grateful for the support network I have around me.”
ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year: Laura Wolvaardt (SA) (c), Smriti Mandhana (Ind), Chamari Athapaththu (SL), Hayley Matthews (WI), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Eng), Amelia Kerr (NZ), Richa Ghosh (Ind) (wk), Marizanne Kapp (SA), Orla Prendergast (Ire), Deepti Sharma (Ind), Sadia Iqbal (Pak)
Smriti Mandhana was adjudged the Women’s ODI Cricketer of the year. She aggregated 747 runs at an average of 57.46 in 2024, concluding the year with more runs and centuries than any other player, including tons against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Wolvaardt, Sutherland and Athapaththu were the other cricketers vying for the award.
ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year: Smriti Mandhana (Ind), Laura Wolvaardt (SA) (c), Chamari Athapaththu (SL), Hayley Matthews (WI), Marizanne Kapp (SA), Ash Gardner (Aus), Annabel Sutherland (Aus), Amy Jones (Eng) (wk), Deepti Sharma (Ind), Sophie Ecclestone (Eng), Kate Cross (Eng)
Meanwhile, South African all-rounder Annerie Dercksen was conferred with the ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year award while UAE’s Esha Oza was once again named the ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year. Oza scored 711 runs over the course of the year, a tally only bettered by Mandhana and Athapathtu.