3 reasons why Ashleigh Gardner is the best all-rounder in the world at present
The Australian Women's Team have further established that they are one of the best cricketing sides ever by virtue of winning the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Trophy in South Africa.
It was the sixth time that the team lifted the T20 trophy, which is just phenomenal. They have also won two of the last three ODI World Cups and secured gold at last year's Commonwealth Games.
At the center of Australia's recent dominance is 25-year-old all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, who has simply been sensational for her team, contributing in all three departments. Since making her international debut in 2017, she has become a prominent member of the Aussie team.
Here are three reasons to prove that she is the best all-rounder in world cricket at the moment.
#1 Big match player
Ashleigh Gardner has in recent times earned a reputation for being a big-match player. She has shown through her performances that she has a knack for doing well in high-pressure situations, which has greatly benefited her team.
In the final of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she produced a useful cameo with the bat, scoring 25 runs off just 15 balls to help her team post 161 runs on the board.
She then dismissed the dangerous Shafali Verma with the ball to get her team off to a brilliant start during the defense. She later returned to get the huge wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur, who was well set on 65. Her eventual figures read 3-16 off 3 overs.
In the recently concluded Women's T20 World Cup, she was promoted to No. 3 in the final against South Africa. She shared a 46-run stand with Beth Mooney, scoring 29 crucial runs. With the ball, she was again superb, returning figures of 1-20, which included the massive wicket of Marizanne Kapp.
He had a good outing in the semi-finals too, scoring 31 runs from just 18 deliveries and then claiming two wickets.
#2 Gardner is very consistent
What makes Gardner such an important player is the fact that she can be relied upon. Over a period of time, she has displayed rich veins of consistency. She has gotten the job done for her team on most occasions, as her stats show.
With the bat, Gardner has made many handy contributions, and with the ball, she has emerged as a wicket-taking option. She has gone wicketless only four times in the last 15 T20Is that she has played.
#3 Does the difficult jobs
Gardner has always adapted to the team's needs, adjusting her game according to the requirements. Sometimes, she has been promoted to do the job of an anchor, while at times, she has been used as a dinisher, who needs to go all guns blazing right from ball one.
With the ball, she has bowled some of the most difficult overs in the T20 format. She has opened the bowling, which is quite a job as a spinner due to field restrictions, and has also bowled at the death.