The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the nominees for the ICC Women's Emerging Cricketer of the Year award on Saturday.
Notably, the list does not include any players from Pakistan, reflecting a challenging year for Pakistan's women's cricket team in 2024.
The nominees include South Africa’s Annerie Dercksen, Scotland’s Saskia Horley, India’s Shreyanka Patil, and Ireland’s Freya Sargent, all recognized for their exceptional performances throughout the year.
For Pakistan, 2024 was particularly disappointing in ODI cricket. The team failed to secure a single victory, losing six matches, with one ending in a no result.
This underwhelming performance contributed to the absence of Pakistan players among the ICC Women's Emerging Cricketer of the Year nominees.
Despite the team’s struggles, Muneeba Ali stood out as a consistent performer, scoring 143 runs in six matches at an average of 28.60 and a strike rate of 66.82.
Aliya Riaz followed with 115 runs in six matches. On the bowling side, Nida Dar claimed 10 wickets in six matches, while Umm-e-Hani and Nashra Sandhu took six wickets each in five matches.
All-rounder, Dercksen played a pivotal role in South Africa’s journey to the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
She also made her mark in the ODI series against England, scoring 27 runs in the first ODI and showcasing her potential as a key player for the Proteas.
Horley began the year with a remarkable performance in Dubai during the ODI tri-series against Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the USA, where she scored a half-century and claimed three wickets.
She carried this form into the Women’s T20 World Cup, taking three wickets in the opening match against Bangladesh.
Patil’s consistent performances across both white-ball formats have earned her recognition. Despite being primarily known as a bowler, the 22-year-old has proven her abilities as a lower-order batter.
She went wicketless in only two matches this year, further solidifying her reputation as a dependable all-rounder.
Sargent’s standout moments include an early breakthrough against England in the first T20I, where she dismissed Bryony Smith just after the Powerplay.
In the same match, the 18-year-old showcased her composure under pressure by dismissing Mady Villiers and Georgia Adams in the 19th over.
