Suzie Bates has ended her year in style – named captain of the ICC’s ODI Team of the Year and also included in the world body’s T20 Team of the Year.
Bates joins WHITE FERNS’ team-mate Sophie Devine in the World ODI XI after another stellar year in the 50-over format; scoring 438 runs at an average of 73.00 (strike-rate: 102.09), including a top score of 151 against Ireland at Dublin in June.
She also has strong New Zealand company in the World T20 XI, in which she has been selected alongside WHITE FERNS’ spinner Leigh Kasperek.
Bates averaged 51.53 in the 20-over game, scoring 670 runs from 17 outings at a strike-rate of 135.35, including a top-score of 124 not out against South Africa at Taunton.
Devine was a stand-out figure during the ODI year, scoring 533 runs at the startling average of 106.60 (strike-rate: 109.89), including three centuries and a top-score of 117 not out against England at Leicester
And Kasperek earned her place in the T20 XI on the back of a terrific twelve months in which she snared 27 wickets in 15 games at the miserly average of 13.59.
Bates, who stepped down from the WHITE FERNS’ captaincy midway through last year, said being named to lead a World XI was “an absolute honour”.
“It’s pretty special and something I’ll always remember,” she said after learning of the accolade.
"It would be nice one day if we got together to play as a group and to captain some of the superstars, but once again such a huge honour and congratulations to all the award winners for this year."
ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year (in batting order):
- Smriti Mandhana (India)
2. Tammy Beaumont (England)
3. Suzie Bates (New Zealand) (captain)
4. Dane van Niekerk (South Africa)
5. Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
6. Alyssa Healy (Australia) (wicketkeeper)
7. Marizanne Kapp (South Africa)
8. Deandra Dottin (Windies)
9. Sana Mir (Pakistan)
10. Sophie Ecclestone (England)
11. Poonam Yadav (India)
ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year (in batting order):
- Smriti Mandhana (India)
2. Alyssa Healy (Australia) (wicketkeeper)
3. Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
4. Harmanpreet Kaur (India) (captain)
5. Natalie Sciver (England)
6. Ellyse Perry (Australia)
7. Ashleigh Gardner (Australia)
8. Leigh Kasperek (New Zealand)
9. Megan Schutt (Australia)
10. Rumana Ahmed (Bangladesh)
11. Poonam Yadav (India)
*The voting academy was: Melinda Farrell, Melanie Jones, Lisa Sthalekar (all Australia), Charlotte Edwards, Kalika Mehta (both England), Anjum Chopra, Snehal Pradhan (both India), Lesley Murdoch (New Zealand), Urooj Mumtaz (Pakistan), Natalie Germanos (South Africa), Alan Wilkins (Wales) Ian Bishop (West Indies).
