Dubai: Four Australians have been selected in the Upstox Most Valuable Team of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.Player of the Tournament Ashleigh Gardner is joined by Alyssa Healy, Darcie Brown and Megan Schutt while England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt has been selected as captain.
The team was chosen by a panel of experts including commentators Ian Bishop, Melanie Jones and Ebony Rainford-Brent, journalist Firdose Moonda, with ICC Women’s Cricket Manager Snehal Pradhan acting as convenor. A fan vote run on icc-cricket.com also contributed towards the selection.
Tazmin Brits has been chosen as an opener after smashing back-to-back fifties to guide South Africa to the final, making 186 runs across the tournament.Brits was named Player of the Match in the semi-final as she hit 68 runs from 55 balls before taking four catches in a star performance.
Wicketkeeper-batter Healy has followed up being named Player of the Tournament at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 with selection as Brits’ opening partner.The right-hander struck 189 runs during Australia’s victorious campaign, at an average of 47.25,and hit two fifties against New Zealand and Sri Lanka respectively.
She has also been handed the gloves after taking one catch and three stumpings across the tournament.
South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt is in at number three having made the most runs in the tournament with 230, including 61 in the final.She scored 22 fours and a tournament-high five sixes as she passed fifty three times during the World Cup.
Sciver-Brunt is one of two England players named in the XI after winning player of the match three times having made 216 runs, the second-highest in the tournament.The all-rounder crunched a tournament-high 28 fours and ended with an average of 72.00, the best in the competition, also taking one wicket.
Gardner is also selected among the all-rounders after making 110 runs and taking 10 wickets across the tournament, to sit joint-second in the table.The off-spinner posted the best figures of the tournament, and of any Australian in T20Is, as she took five for 12 in Australia's opener against New Zealand.
India’s Richa Ghosh has been selected in the middle order - the right-hander did not have an average for the first three games of the tournament ending not out three times, her best score coming against England with an unbeaten 47.A useful deputy to Healy with the gloves, Ghosh took five catches and two stumpings to help her side reach the semi-finals.
For the second ICC tournament in a row, Sophie Ecclestone ended as the highest wicket-taker with the slow left-armer claiming 11 scalps.She took at least one wicket in every game, her best figures coming against Ireland where she took three for 13.The only representative from the West Indies, Karishma Ramharack has been selected for her impressive average of just 10.00.
The off-spinner took five wickets across three games with her best performance of two for 14
against India in the Windies’s opener.
Shabnim Ismail is the final South African in the line-up after the seam bowler took eight wickets.
Ismail delivered the fastest ball in the tournament during the semi-final, also bowling three maidens, with no other bowler producing more than one.
The final two spots go to Australia’s pace duo Darcie Brown and Megan Schutt.Brown took seven wickets across the tournament, ending with an economy of just five as she bowled a tournament-high 78 dot balls.Her more senior partner Schutt was not to be outdone, taking 10 wickets at an average of 12.50, taking four for 24 against Sri Lanka.
Young star Orla Prendergast has been selected as the 12th player after a breakout World Cup for Ireland, making 109 runs including 61 against the West Indies.With the ball, Prendergast also took three wickets and looked impressive in the field as she put in a true all-round performance.(UNI)
The Upstox Most Valuable Team of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 (in batting order) is:
Tazmin Brits (South Africa) 186 runs at 37.20
Alyssa Healy (wk) (Australia) 189 runs at 47.25 and four dismissals
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) 230 runs at 46.00
Nat Sciver-Brunt (c) (England) 216 runs at 72.00
Ashleigh Gardner (Australia) 110 runs at 36.66 and 10 wickets at 12.50
Richa Ghosh (India) 136 runs at 68.00
Sophie Ecclestone (England) 11 wickets at 7.54
Karishma Ramharack (West Indies) 5 wickets at 10.00
Shabnim Ismail (South Africa) 8 wickets at 16.12
Darcie Brown (Australia) 7 wickets at 15.00
Megan Schutt (Australia) 10 wickets at 12.50
12th player: Orla Prendergast (Ireland) 109 runs at 27.25 and 3 wickets at 26.00
