Nicholas Pooran and Hayley Matthews were the only West Indies players selected as the International Cricket Council (ICC) named its Men’s and Women’s T20I teams for 2023.
Pooran scored 384 runs in 2023 at a strike rate of 163, while Matthews notched 700 runs at an average of 63.63 and a strike rate of 132.00.
Matthews also claimed 19 wickets at an economy rate of 6.84.
However, no West Indies players were named on the ICC’s Test and ODI teams of 2024.
“Pooran’s 41 from just 19 balls against South Africa in Johannesburg kickstarted a West Indies innings of 220/8 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg against the Proteas, an important knock in a seven-run win. Back-to-back knocks of 41 (34) and 67 (40) against India followed, ending the five-match T20I series with a knock of 47 (35) balls in the final match. Pooran ended his year with the home series against England, making 82 (45) and 39 (15) in matches four and five of the series won by the Men in Maroon,” the ICC stated in naming the team.
On Matthews’ selection, the ICC stated: “A unanimous selection in the Team of the Year, Matthews was the most-prolific run-scorer in women’s T20Is (700 at 63.63, strike rate 132) in 2023, while also claiming 19 wickets at an economy of 6.84.”
“The No.1 ranked MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I all-rounder put on a remarkable performance for the ages against Australia in a bilateral T20I series in the second half of the year. Her stellar showing in the series saw her make scores of 99*, 132, and 79 as the West Indies skipper proved to be a thorn in the Australian side,” it added.
The ICC further added: “Matthews’ extraordinary unbeaten 99 in the first game of the series was overshadowed by her own mind-blowing 132 in a run-chase of 213 in Sydney. The world-record run-chase in women’s T20Is saw Matthews break several records including the highest individual score in a women’s T20I run-chase. Her overall tally of 310 runs in the series is the most by any player in a women’s T20I bilateral series.”
Matthews also scored 130 runs at the T20 World Cup, and also took four wickets, with four catches.
ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Phil Salt, Nicholas Pooran, Mark Chapman, Sikandar Raza, Alpesh Ramjani, Mark Adair, Ravi Bishnoi, Richard Ngarava, Arshdeep Singh.
ICC Women’s T20 Team Of The Year
Chamari Athapaththu (c) (Sri Lanka), Beth Mooney (wk) (Australia), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Ellyse Perry (Australia), Ash Gardner (Australia), Deepti Sharma (India), Sophie Ecclestone (England), Megan Schutt (Australia)