22 October 2024 09:00 am Views - 31
Laura Wolvaardt (Captain)
Players from seven teams have been included in the ICC Women’s T20I World Cup (WT20I) 2024 Team of the Tournament.
Champions New Zealand and runners-up South Africa are represented by three players apiece (including the 12th player) while stars from England, India the West Indies, Bangladesh and Australia are also selected.
Amelia Kerr, who picked up Player-of-the-Match in the final as well as the Player-of-the-Tournament Trophy, is a natural inclusion following a superb campaign with bat and ball.
The 24-year-old took 15 wickets – the most by any player at a single ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – and scored 135 runs, top-scoring with 43 in the final to help the White Ferns lift the trophy for the first time.
She is joined in the squad by teammates Rosemary Mair, who took 10 wickets at 11.70 including three in the final, and Eden Carson, listed as 12th in this team after nine wickets of her own.
South Africa’s opening pair finished as the two highest run-scorers in the competition and both Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits are selected.
Wolvaardt was remarkably consistent, with four scores of 40 or above including a best of 59 not out in the opener against West Indies helping her to a tournament-high tally of 223 at 44.60. The 25-year-old, who is named as captain of the Team of the Tournament, struck at 113.19 across her six innings.
Her opening partner Brits also contributed valuable runs throughout the competition making 187 in total with a best of 57 not out, as the pair played an integral role for South Africa in the powerplay.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge joins them in the top order after scoring 151 runs in four innings. She top-scored with 41 in England’s opening victory against Bangladesh before important knocks of 43 and 51 not out in wins over South Africa and Scotland respectively.
No South African had reached double figures for wickets in a single ICC Women’s T20 World Cup before but Nonkululeko Mlaba changed that with a string of impressive displays in the UAE.
She entered the wickets column in all six matches she played in, taking four for 29 against West Indies and three for 12 against Scotland, while Mlaba also earned the key scalp of Tahlia McGrath in South Africa’s semi-final win over Australia and two wickets in the final.
Bangladesh Skipper Nigar Sultana takes the gloves following an impressive competition. She led her side to their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup victory for 10 years against Scotland and impressed with the bat against both West Indies (39) and South Africa (32 not out).
She is joined in the middle order by Harmanpreet Kaur, who ended the tournament with a remarkable average of 150 after being dismissed just once in four innings. The India star made unbeaten half centuries against both Sri Lanka and Australia.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 – Team of the Tournament: Laura Wolvaardt (Captain), Tazmin Brits, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deandra Dottin, Nigar Sultana (wk), Afy Fletcher, Rosemary Mair, Megan Schutt, Nonkululeko Mlaba. 12th player - Eden Carson. (ICC)
Megan Schutt is also selected following a history-making competition which saw her become the highest wicket-taker in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history.