Athapaththu, Matthews, Wolvaardt nominated for ICC Women's Player of the Month for April
May 06, 2024
Dubai [UAE], May 6 : Three exceptional performers Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews and South Africa opening batter Laura Wolvaardt have been shortlisted for the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for April 2024.
"The International Cricket Council (ICC) today unveiled the latest lists of contenders hoping to claim the ICC Women's Player of the Month award following April's international contests," ICC said in a statement.
Sri Lanka's influential captain Athapaththu was nominated for her outstanding run-scoring feats last month, taking in stellar performances across ODIs and T20Is in South Africa and the UAE.
Last year's ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year continues her dominance in the 50-over format, reclaiming the top spot in the ICC Women's ODI Batting rankings after a stellar showing in April.
Records tumbled for the Sri Lanka skipper, thanks to a sparkling unbeaten 195 in Potchefstroom against South Africa as the tourists won in a record run chase. 258 ODI runs was complemented by 148 runs in T20Is, which included two half-centuries in South Africa.
Hayley Matthews joins her among the contenders after her eye-catching all-round performances during the West Indies' strong showing in Pakistan. Also a former winner of the ICC Women's Player of the Month, and current holder of the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year, Matthews is another top-ranked performer to have grabbed headlines in April.
The 26-year-old skipper 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.
Meanwhile, South Africa captain Wolvaardt 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. Wolvaardt 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 Athapaththu.
