New Zealand great pays tribute to Melie Kerr following ICC Awards haul

ICC Hall of Famer Debbie Hockley has paid tribute to Melie Kerr after the star all-rounder created history by becoming the first player from New Zealand to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year.

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Kerr capped off a tremendous calendar year of 2024 this week when she won the most prestigious individual award in women's cricket and New Zealand legend Hockley was among the list of former greats to pass on their well wishes.

Hockley was among the New Zealand team that won the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup on home soil in 2000 and has a long list of individual honours that includes being adjudged Player of the Match in a losing side of the same tournament three years earlier in India.

Kerr when one step better than Hockley when she claimed the Player of the Match award in the successful New Zealand side that netted the White Ferns their maiden ICC Women's T20 World Cup title last year and the 24-year-old was also adjuged Player of the Tournament for her efforts at the UAE event.

It was no surprise to see Kerr named ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year and the significance of becoming the first player from New Zealand - either male or female - to win the ICC Cricketer of the Year award was not lost on Hockley.

“I’m so admiring of Melie's desire for consistency of performance and her ability in delivering that," Hockley said.

"This is what separates a good player from a truly great player."

Kerr put her tremendous 2024 down to an improved performance with the ball, with the spinner claiming 15 wickets at an average of just 7.33 during the White Ferns' run at the T20 World Cup last year to lead her side to the title.

“Over the past year, I think my bowling’s improved,” Kerr noted.

“A lot of that comes down to the ‘spin group’ that I work with. I love working with (New Zealand's talent identification manager) Paul Wiseman and the others. We work hard but have a lot of fun too, and it pays off.

“Nothing’s changed dramatically but we find little things to tweak and improve, and at this level it can make a big difference.”

Kerr paid tribute to a trio of her experienced teammates that have guided her throughout her career and even singled out Black Caps great Kane Williamson for the role he has played in her success.

“As a kid I looked up to Soph (Devine) and Suzie (Bates) and Amy (Satterthwaite) and I tried to model my batting off Kane Williamson – for periods of their careers they were the best players in the world," Kerr said.

“To be standing here now with this award is very special and I feel very grateful and humbled.”