Teenage cricketer Ndhlovu on the verge of history

Eddie Chikamhi

Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE all-rounder Kelis Ndhlovu could have entered her name into the history books as the youngest cricketer ever to be nominated for the International Cricket Council Player of the Month award after she made the shortlist released yesterday.

The 17-year-old was part of the Lady Chevrons side that was on tour of Thailand, for the past two weeks, where she received her first cap in the Women’s One Day Internationals.

Ndhlovu made her presence felt mainly with the ball, to atone for the dip in batting form which saw her failing to convert to a double digit score in three WODIs and as many WT20Is. But she was devastating with her bowling contributions and had 10 wickets in three WODIs. The performance was probably the bright spot for the Lady Chevrons, who suffered a series whitewash in the WODIs before going down 2-1 in the WT20Is.

Interestingly, the ICC Women’s Player of the Month nominees comprise top performers from bilateral series in April, all nominated for the very first time.

Thailand captain Naruemol Chaiwai is also among the front-runners for the award after she produced a string of fine batting displays to help her side record a landmark ODI series victory over Zimbabwe.

Kavisha Egodage of the UAE enjoyed a prolonged spell of high scores across eight T20I matches during the month.

“The International Cricket Council today revealed the international stars recognised for their outstanding performances in April as the shortlists for the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month Awards were announced.

“The nominees for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month encapsulate another dramatic period of international cricket, while the candidates in line for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award acknowledge some of the top talent emerging onto the global stage,” said the ICC in a statement yesterday.

Ndhlovu was mainly identified for her wicket-taking threat in ODI and T20I matches in April. She claimed 5/22 in the first ODI against Thailand, then 3/17 and 2/19. In the T20 series against the same opponents, she took four wickets at an economy of 7.60. She could become the youngest cricketer ever to win the ICC Player of the Month award if the result from the ballot goes in her favour.

“The 17-year old bowler has made an impressive start to her international career, which included appearances at the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa.

“Making her ODI debut for Zimbabwe last month, she adapted well against a strong Thailand outfit, taking 10 wickets at an average of 5.80 despite series defeat.

“Her highlight came in the first showdown in Bangkok, where Ndhlovu picked up five wickets for 22 runs. Following up with three for 17 and two for 19 in the second and third ODIs respectively, Ndhlovu continues to thrive on the international stage,” said the ICC statement.

Among the players honoured on the ICC Men’s Player of the Month shortlist is Mark Chapman of New Zealand, nominated for the very first time following his T20I heroics in the recently drawn series in Pakistan. Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya will be hoping to win his second Player of the Month prize thanks to a prolific month of wicket-taking in his side’s Test series victory against Ireland.

The final candidate is Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman, who earns his first nomination since April 2021 for excelling in the ODI series against New Zealand with two dazzling match-winning centuries.

“The three nominees for either category are shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month.

“The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters and members of the ICC Hall of Fame.

“The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 per cent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC can vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on ICC’s digital channels,” said the ICC.