T20 World Cup Qualifier: Sri Lanka’s influential leader Chamari Athapaththu, West Indies’ stellar captain Hayley Matthews and South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt have made the cut for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for April 2024.
Chamari, who was ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2023, continued her dominance in the 50-over format by reclaiming the top spot in the ICC Women’s ODI batting rankings after a stellar showing in April. She smashed an unbeaten 195 in Potchefstroom against South Africa as the tourists won in a record run chase. Her 258 runs in the ODI series were complemented by 148 runs in the T20Is, which included two half-centuries in South Africa.
The Sri Lankan’s stellar run continued by smashing a fifty against Scotland in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi, where Sri Lanka eventually sealed their qualification thanks to their semifinal success over UAE on Sunday.
On the other hand, Hayley, a past winner of the ICC Women’s Player of the Month, and current holder of the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year, grabbed headlines in April due to her top-notch performances on the West Indies tour of Pakistan.
Hayley, 26, piled on the runs in her six outings for the West Indies, notching two brilliant ODI centuries followed by back-to-back half-centuries in the T20I contests against Pakistan. Alongside her 451 runs in April, Matthews also flourished with the ball, taking 12 wickets; six in the ODI matches at an average of 14, and six more in the T20Is at 10.50.
Laura, meanwhile, is looking to claim her maiden Player of the Month award in what is her fourth nomination, and is a strong contender after another historic series of displays in April. The right-handed opener started the month with a half-century in the final T20I contest against Sri Lanka before carrying her excellent form into the ODI series.
Her innings of 41 in the first match preceded an emphatic 110 not out in the second to claim a vital win, but the 25-year-old saved her best score for the last game, blasting a national record score of 184 in 147 balls only for South Africa to be outdone by the brilliance of Chamari’s unbeaten 195.
