The International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed four nominees for the ICC Heyhoe Flint Award of the Year 2023 on Friday, January 5. Australia's in-form all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner and English cricketer Natalie Sciver-Brunt are among the leading candidates to clinch the prestigious ICC Women Cricketer of the Year award.
Gardener, 26, enjoyed her best year across formats with a record 58 international wickets in 2023. She was the leading wicket-taker in both ODI and Test formats in 2023 and also scorched a combined 481 runs to show her all-round skills.
England star Natalie Sciver-Brunt also made a sensational impact with both bat and ball in 2023. She claimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI Batting chart and scored 894 international runs in 2023. She bagged nine wickets and eight catches as well and is tipped as the favourite to win the award for the consecutive year.
The Australian batter Beth Mooney and Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapththu are the remaining two nominees. Mooney scored 1040 runs in international cricket in 2023 and was also bringing in the field with 12 catches. On the other hand, Athapaththu dominated the year 2023 with remarkable consistency with the bat by scoring 885 runs in just 24 international innings.
ICC Women Cricket of the Year 2023 (ICC Heyhoe Flint Award of the Year) Nominees:
- Natalie Sciver-Brunt (England) - 894 runs, 9 wickets, 8 catches
- Ashleigh Gardner (Australia) - 481 runs, 58 wickets, 9 catches
- Beth Mooney (Australia) - 1040 runs, 12 catches
- Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) - 885 runs, 9 wickets, 5 catches
Meanwhile, no Indian women cricketer managed to win the nomination after another inconsistent year. India showed their brilliance with Test wins against Australia and England at home but suffered embarrassing defeats in the white-ball series last month.
