Inspirational captain named ICC Women's Associate Cricketer of the Year
The award for the ICC Women's Associate Cricketer of the Year has been won by the United Arab Emirates’ all-action captain Esha Oza.
Esha Oza was a dominant force in her team’s games throughout 2024, racking up a mountain of runs at the top of the order and chipping in with plenty of wickets with her off-breaks.
She started the year in style as the UAE won the Asian Cricket Council Women’s Premier Cup, with Oza finishing as the leading scorer and being named Player of the Tournament.
And the classy right-hander also played a big role in the UAE’s run to the knockout stages of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier later in the year.
Oza’s brilliant 66* from 39 balls inspired her team’s victory over Netherlands in that competition – a result that saw the UAE beat the Dutch to a top-two spot in a competitive Group B.
And Oza very nearly pulled off a miracle in the semi-finals, smashing a defiant 66 from 44 balls against eventual tournament winners Sri Lanka as the UAE fell narrowly short of a huge upset in Abu Dhabi.
Esha Oza wins Women's Associate Cricketer of the Year | ICC Awards 2024
Esha Oza’s record in 2024: 711 runs and 16 wickets in 20 T20I matches
The UAE captain was a consistent performer with the ball in hand throughout 24, taking her 16 wickets at an average of 19.68 and producing a more-than-handy economy rate of 5.41.
But it was with the bat where she really lit up the international game in 2024.
Only two players in the world score more runs than Oza’s 711 in the calendar year, and those two were Sri Lankan sensational Chamari Athapaththu (720) and India star Smriti Mandhana (763).
Oza was extremely consistent, reaching double figures in all-but one of her 20 innings in the year, hitting one century and four half-centuries.
Her 711 runs came at an average of 41.82, and she scored fast too, rolling along at a strike rate of 111.79.
Memorable Performance
Oza was Player of the Match in the final of the Asian Cricket Council Women’s Premier Cup against Malaysia, but her standout display of that international tournament came earlier in the competition when she absolutely demolished Oman.
Opening the batting in the first innings, Oza hit 16 boundaries in a phenomenal century, ending unbeaten on 114* from just 69 balls to boost her team to a formidable total of 176/1. And she was part of a strong team bowling display in the second innings, taking 1/4 in her two overs as UAE raced to a massive 148-run margin of victory.
Her effort with the bat was her third century in international cricket and was her top score in a run-heavy 2024.