Cricket South Africa (CSA) has congratulated Momentum Proteas’ Dané van Niekerk and Lizelle Lee on being honoured by the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in the Cricketers of the Year and Woman Cricketer in the World categories respectively.
Van Niekerk secured one of the prestigious Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year accolade alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Devon Conway, Ollie Robinson and Rohit Sharma. The only woman in the high-powered league, Dané caught the eye of the judges after her leading run-scorer performance at The Hundred in 2021, which earned her the Most Valuable Player recognition.
Lizelle Lee’s dominance with the bat in the 2021 ODI cricket, including a spectacular series against India in which she scored 288 runs in four innings couldn’t be ignored. She was aptly named Leading Woman Cricketer in the World, an honour only reserved for cricket royalty.
Commenting on these achievements, CSA Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi said: “Dané and Lizelle have again put women’s cricket on the world stage! Their stellar performances, temperament and consistency could not be ignored by all who value excellence. It is cause for celebration that they have featured prominently in this Wisden Cricketers' Almanack’s for the world to behold the cream of talent that South Africa has in the women’s’ cricket space.
“This magnificent duo are a source of inspiration for buddying women cricketers who want to reach the highest echelons in this beautiful game. CSA showers them congratulations on these milestones, in the knowledge that there’s more to come to fill their cabinets!”
Congratulating Van Niekerk and Lee, CSA Board Chairperson, Lawson Naidoo said: “Thanks to Dané and Lizelle, South Africa has again emphatically confirmed that its women cricketers are a force to be reckoned with globally.
“These accolades bode well for the positioning of the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup as well as the inaugural ICC Women’s under-19 T20 World Cup, both of which will be held in South Africa during January and February 2023.
“On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Dané and Lizelle for making us proud and for putting South Africa firmly on the map. These honours put them on par with the greatest cricketers in the world, recognitions that the Board applauds!”