ICC Awards 2021: England batter Tammy Beaumont named women’s T20I player of the year

Beaumont was her side’s highest run-getter in the year in T20Is. In a low-scoring series against New Zealand away from home, Beaumont was the top scorer and was awarded the Player of the Series for 102 runs in three matches. Her 53-ball 63 in the second match put England in a winning position after they lost two wickets in the Powerplay.

She scored a brilliant fifty against India, though it went in vain after a lower-order collapse.

Beaumont continued to make merry against New Zealand, this time when they visited England for a limited-overs tour. She once again finished as the highest run-getter in the series with 113, which included a stunning 97 in the opening game of the series.

Beaumont’s 97 in the series opener against New Zealand at home propelled England to their highest T20I total in 2021.

Beaumont took the attack to the New Zealand bowlers from the word go, smashing two boundaries in the very first over of the innings. After a slight lull in the middle overs caused by Dani Wyatt’s dismissal, Beaumont cut loose, whacking four consecutive boundaries to bring her fifty up in 40 balls.

There was no respite for the New Zealand bowlers as the England opener continued to find the boundaries regularly before eventually falling off the penultimate ball, just three runs short of a hundred.

Meanwhile, Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was named the ICC men’s and women’s T20 Player of the Year.

Aggregating a staggering 1,326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan struck at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89.

Apart from his exploits with the bat, he was as solid as ever behind the stumps, playing a key role in Pakistan’s run to the semifinals during the T20 World Cup in the UAE, where he ended up as the third-highest run-scorer.

He also scored his maiden T20I century against South Africa in Lahore early in the year and continued his form with a brilliant knock of 87 against the West Indies in Karachi.

(With PTI inputs)