Young Bangladesh women's team pacer Marufa Akter's match-winning spell against India was named the best bowling performance in Women's ODIs in 2023 by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday. Marufa claimed 4 for 29 against India at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on July 26 to help the hosts seal a 40-run win, their first against India in Women's ODIs.
Meanwhile, India and Australia, the finalists in the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship, dominate the men's categories in the 17th edition of ESPNcricinfo's Awards.
Travis Head won the Test batting award for his defining 163 in the WTC final win at The Oval. He also made a century in the World Cup final, but lost in that category to a knock so unbelievable, it would have won the ODI batting award even if it had come in a dead rubber - Glenn Maxwell's 201 not out, which rescued Australia from 91 for 7 in their World Cup match against Afghanistan, and secured them a position in the semi-final.
The men's ODI bowling award went to another World Cup special - Mohammed Shami's seven-for that knocked over New Zealand and put India in the final.
India's home record in the last decade in Tests, has been phenomenal. They have lost only three of 46 matches they have played between 2013 and 2023. One of those defeats came at the hands of Nathan Lyon, the winner of the Test bowling award for his suffocating 8 for 64 in Australia's nine-wicket win in Indore. Pat Cummins missed the Indore Test because of a bereavement, but he was chosen as the Captain of the Year for leading Australia to the WTC and World Cup titles, a 2-2 Ashes retention in England, and a home series win against Pakistan.
The men's T20I batting award went to Suryakumar Yadav for a second year in a row, this time for his 112 at a strike rate of nearly 220, against Sri Lanka in Rajkot.
West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph picked up the men's T20I bowling award for his series-clinching 5 for 40 in Johannesburg. At the start of the 19th over, South Africa needed 35 to win. Joseph removed Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen and Wayne Parnell to hand West Indies a huge advantage going into the final six balls.
