Hayley Matthews, the captain of the West Indies women’s team, has been honored as the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2023.
Following in the footsteps of Stephanie Taylor, who won the award in 2015, Matthews becomes the second West Indies cricketer to obtain this esteemed honor. Throughout the year, Matthews distinguished herself with her remarkable batting and bowling skills.
Among the many deserving recipients were Hayley Matthews, who triumphed over Ellyse Perry of Australia, Sophie Ecclestone of England, and Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka. She had a sensational 2023 season, scoring 700 runs and taking 19 wickets in 14 Twenty20 Internationals.
After a magnificent year representing the West Indies, Matthews expressed her gratitude to the ICC and recognized the honor, highlighting her feeling of blessing. Along with the unique sense of being acknowledged in this manner, she emphasized the importance of joining the ranks of previous West Indies recipients.
During a series against Australia in late 2023, Matthews—who is presently the top-ranked ICC Women’s Twenty20 International All-rounder—really came into her own. She cemented her position in history by breaking a new record for the most runs in a Twenty20 International series by a West Indies women’s hitter, scoring an astonishing 310 runs across three games at an impressive average of 155. She brilliantly scored 1 century and 2 half-centuries in the series and clinched the deserving Player of the Series award.
In her most impressive performance of the series, Matthews scored 132 runs to help chase 213 runs, and she also had a key role with the ball, taking 3/36. Despite her efforts, Australia managed to post 212 runs.
Looking ahead to 2024, Matthews is preparing for the Women’s T20I World Cup, seeking to recreate her excellent exploits with the bat. As she sets her sights on future difficulties, the cricketing world awaits to see if she can once again deliver spectacular performances on the global stage.
