Anisa Mohammed and Hayley Matthews were named on the International Cricket Council’s Women’s One Day International (ODI) Team of the Year 2021, which was announced earlier this week by the world governing body of cricket.
It is the first time that two West Indian women featured in the ODI Team of the Year and the women were also the only West Indies players to earn selections on the ICC’s white ball all-star male or female teams based on last year’s performances.
Trinidadian spin sensation Anisa Mohammed finished 2021 as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 20 wickets at an average of 18.00. Conceding at just 3.61 runs per over, Mohammed was one of the year’s most economical bowlers registering her best figures for 2021 in the second CG Insurance ODI against Pakistan at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, where she took four wickets for 27 runs in her 9.4 overs bowled.
Mohammed, the most successful bowler in West Indies history, was both excited and honoured upon learning she was selected as part of the honorary entity. “I didn’t play cricket for almost a year and a half because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I just wanted to have fun after not playing for so long,” she said. “I wanted to go out and do my best and help my team as best as I could, and I was actually shocked when I saw I got most wickets.”
Barbadian all-rounder Hayley Matthews’ success ensured she would also make the cut for the 2021 team. She scored 380 runs including one half-century and an unbeaten 100 not out in the third CG Insurance ODI against the Pakistan Women at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. She also picked up 18 wickets at an average of 22.44 and was instrumental in the West Indies tour to Pakistan helping the team to secure the three-match series.
Matthews expressed her delight with the selection and also with the progress the women’s team had made within the past year. “It’s pretty exciting,” she stated. “Going into 2021 I would have set some pretty big goals for myself, so I was happy that I was able to go out there and have a good year. Looking at it from a team stand-point I guess it was good for us to see where we were at last year and looking back now on the growth we’ve had when it comes down to our bowling, batting, and fielding. It’s been really good to see the progress and it’s something myself and the team will be looking to build on in 2022.”
Both players expressed delight in the increased amount of both preparation camps and match time that the West Indies Women had in 2021, including the West Indies Women’s A team hosting of an inaugural home series against the visiting Pakistan Women’s A team.
Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerrit congratulated both players noting that the selections were testimony to the women’s attitudes towards improving their game, and it also provided an important return to the refocused women’s programme. He stated, “There is still much work to be done to grow and improve the women’s game in our region, but this global achievement by Anisa and Hayley should provide inspiration to all of their colleagues, and to all stakeholders.”
Both Mohammed and Matthews are currently part of the squad in South Africa where they will play four ODIs against the Proteas from 28 January to 6 February at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.
