Annerie Dercksen beats Shreyanka Patil to win ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2024 award
Published - 26 Jan 2025, 05:36 PM | Updated - 26 Jan 2025, 11:35 PM
South Africa star Annerie Dercksen has been named the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Women's Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2024. Annerie Dercksen beat India's Shreyanka Patil and Scottish cricketer Saskia Horley to secure the prestigious award after making significant strides on the international stage.
Annerie Dercksen made her debut for South Africa in January 2023 during a T20I triangular series involving India and West Indies. The 23-year-old all-rounder has become a key player in international cricket. She made her Test and ODI debuts for the national cricket team in 2024 while continuing to impress in T20Is.
It's Obviously a Great Honor - Annerie Dercksen
In a video interview with the ICC, Annerie Dercksen expressed her gratitude for winning the award, adding that it is a reflection of her coaches' hard work and the support of her teammates. She highlighted several key moments from the year, including her ODI and Test debuts in India.
"It's obviously a great honor. I think it's probably more reflecting on the hard work of my coaches and support of my teammates rather than myself. But yeah, like I said, very, very grateful, very humbled, and very motivated to keep working," Dercksen said.
"I think this year has probably been filled with a lot of special moments. I think my ODI and Test debut in India was pretty special."
World Cup and Probably the Final Were Always All the Special Places in My Heart - Annerie Dercksen
Dercksen said that she cherished the journey despite not winning the World Cup final and added that the final itself was a significant milestone in her career. She also mentioned a memorable 44 not-out innings in Multan against Pakistan.
"But I've got to say the World Cup, even though we didn't win the final, the journey of the World Cup and probably the final were always all the special places in my heart. And it's probably highlighted my career," she added.
"I've got to say, I think the innings I played in Multan against Pakistan, 44 not out, was probably very special. It was a serious decider. And yeah, I think that win sort of gave us good momentum going into the World Cup."
Annerie Dercksen Had a Standout Year Across Formats
Dercksen had a standout year across formats. The right-handed batter amassed 161 runs and 5 wickets in 17 T20Is, 60 runs in 2 Tests, and 70 runs with 6 wickets in 4 ODIs. She played a key role in South Africa's ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign, where they reached the final but lost to New Zealand.
Dercksen's unbeaten 44 off just 23 balls secured a thrilling win for South Africa in a T20I decider in Pakistan. She recorded her career-best 15/2 against Sri Lanka. Her ODI bowling also shone with a career-best 3/16 against England. In Test cricket, she was a valuable contributor, including a crucial 41 in Bloemfontein.
