3 players who were unfortunate to miss out in the ICC Women's ODI XI of the year
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the women's ODI team of the year 2022 on Tuesday, January 24. India's Harmanpreet Kaur was named as the captain of the team, which features two more Indians.
The top order comprises Australia's Alyssa Healy, India's Smriti Mandhana and South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt. The team also have a strong middle order with England's Nat Sciver, Australia's Beth Mooney and Kaur covering that base.
New Zealand's Amelia Kerr has been handed the all-rounder's role in the side, while England's Sophie Ecclestone looks after the spin department. The seam bowling department is being looked after by the South African duo of Ayabonga Khaka and Shabnim Ismail and India's Renuka Singh.
ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year revealed.
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While many pundits and fans are happy with the look of the team given that it has rewarded the performers of the year, some have highlighted those who have been unlucky to miss out.
Here, we look at the three players who unfortunately missed out on making the team.
#1 Deepti Sharma
India's Deepti Sharma had a pretty good year with both bat and ball and considering her returns, it's fair to say that she was quite unlucky not to feature in the ICC's Women's ODI Team of the year.
Sharma played 16 ODIs last year, scoring 287 runs with the bat in hand. Batting lower down the order, she made some valuable contributions and was a key figure in the Indian line-up.
With the ball, she had a stellar year, picking up 22 wickets, often providing the team with key breakthroughs. She maintained a remarkable economy rate of 4.79, which made her an important cog in India's bowling wheel, especially in the middle overs.
#2 Sidra Ameen
Pakistan's Sidra Ameen had a sensational year with the bat, amassing 697 runs in just 13 games. She was fourth on the run-making charts and had the best average (63.36) amongst the top 10 run-getters.
She smashed three centuries and two fifties, with a high score of 176 not out, which came against the visiting Ireland side in November. Her best runs came against Sri Lanka and Ireland when the two teams visited Pakistan.
One of her three tons came at the ICC Women's World Cup against Bangladesh. Pakistan eventually fell short by nine runs but Ameen put on a spectacular show, defying all nerves and giving her side hope.
Ameen would be disappointed to miss out despite the year that she had, but it was perhaps her low strike rate that went against her.
#3 Charlotte Dean
England's young prospect Charlotte Dean had a breakout year in international cricket and her performances earned her rich praise from pundits and fans alike.
The 22-year-old off-spinning all-rounder picked up 29 wickets in 2022 and was third on the list of leading wicket-takers. Dean's wicket-taking ability and consistency saw her become an integral part of England's ODI outfit.
She had three four-wicket hauls to her name, with her best outing coming against India at Mount Maunganui during the World Cup. Dean was named the Player of the Match for her figures of 4/23, which helped England restrict India to a paltry score of 134.
With talent, skill and age on her side, Dean will surely have more opportunity opportunities in the coming years to be on ICC Women's ODI XI.