Johannesburg - Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee and Shabnim Ismail were all included in the ICC Women’s ODI team of the Year, which was named on Thursday.
For opener Lee, 2021 was a year where, freed up from the wicket-keeping duties, she could fully concentrate on her batting, and provided the Proteas with a weapon at the top of the order. She was the leading run-scorer in ODIs for the calendar year, with an aggregate of 632 runs, that included a century in Lucknow against India, to help set up that series win, and five half-centuries.
Kapp and Ismail, who were both included in the ICC’s T20 team of the year that was named on Wednesday, will like Lee be critical to South Africa’s chances at the 50-over World Cup that takes place in New Zealand from March.
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Kapp’s all-rounder talents were very much to the fore in 2021 with her batting crucial for the Proteas, underlined by an unbeaten 68 not out - her highest score last year - against Pakistan in Durban, a match in which she also picked up three wickets. With the ball, she claimed 11 wickets at an average of 29.18 in 2021 as part of the most potent new ball attack in the game with Ismail.
Ismail took 18 wickets in 12 matches last year, maintaining the high standards that makes her one of the premier bowlers in the world. Besides the attacking element, Ismail’s control is evident from the fact that her economy rate was just 4.11, despite the fact that she bowls in the power play up front and at the ‘death’ of the innings.
ICC Womens ODI Team of the Year
Lizelle Lee, Alyssa Healy (Aus), Tammy Beaumont (Eng), Mithali Raj (Ind), Heather Knight (Eng, capt), Hayley Matthews (WI), Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Fatima Sana (Pak), Jhulan Goswami (Ind), Anisa Mohammed (WI)
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