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'It's pretty special': Melie Kerr creates history with ICC Cricketer of the Year award
Stephen Foote • January 28th, 2025 6:15 pm
Photo: Photosport
White Ferns allrounder Melie Kerr has claimed a unique slice of Kiwi cricket history with her crowning as ICC women's cricketer of the year.
Less than 48 hours since being announced as the women's Twenty20 cricketer of the year, the Tawa product has become the first New Zealander across both the men's and women's game to scoop the global governing body's top individual accolade.
The award comes on the back of Kerr's outstanding performance at the T20 World Cup, where she guided the White Ferns to glory with her efforts with both bat and ball to become the first player to win the player of the tournament and player of the final.
Kerr finished the year with a total of 29 wickets in 18 matches, while also amassing 387 runs at an average of 24.18.
The 24-year-old said it was an honour to receive an award which has eluded so many great Kiwi cricketers - past and present.
"That's pretty special," Kerr said.
Melie Kerr with her White Ferns teammates I Photo: Photosport
"As a kid, I was looking up to the White Ferns and the Blackcaps as role models, and I think of Sophie (Devine) and Suzie (Bates) and Amy (Satterthwaite), who in their own right have been the best players in the world for periods of their career. People like Kane Williamson, who I tried to model my batting off as a kid.
"So, to be standing here with this award is obviously very special.
"It's probably not something, like World Cups, that you probably think about until you retire because cricket is so busy, you're always moving on to the next thing.
"But it's very special and I wouldn't be here without the support network I have."
Making her debut as a 16-year-old back in 2016 - the youngest NZ women's cricketer ever - Kerr has rapidly risen to become the most important piece of the White Ferns' puzzle.
Kerr puts her sensational 12 months down to a renewed focus on her bowling, part of her desire to establish herself as a genuine all-round force on the global stage.
Her leg spin came into its own on the slower pitches in the UAE, where she nabbed a record 15 wickets at an average of 7.33 runs during the White Ferns' championship campaign.
With the bat, she saved her best for last, slaying 43 off 38 balls to set the White Ferns up with a total of 158/5, before spinning the South Africans out of the contest with game-changing figures of 3/24.
"I think this last year it's been my bowling," she said, reflecting on what had clicked into place with her game over the past 12 months.
"Not much has changed necessarily, but I think in T20 cricket, players are coming hard at you, so just trying to bowl my best ball, have fields that match that and keeping it really simple seemed to work.
Melie Kerr shares a special moment with dad after winning ICC cricketer of the year I Sport Nation
"This year, we've also played in conditions that have suited my bowling and I guess Dubai, where the wickets were a bit slow and low, things were in my favour as well, which helps."
The natural next step in Kerr's evolution as a cricketer appears to be stepping into a leadership role, and with Sophie Devine taking an indefinite break from the game to focus on her mental well-being, that next step may come sooner than later.
Kerr has experience at the helm, captaining New Zealand for the first time during the three-match ODI series against England early last year when Devine was unavailable due to injury.
Either way, Kerr says any decision in regards to stepping into such a position of responsibility wouldn't be made lightly.
"If I get asked to captain, it's going to be something to think about," she noted.
"It's not something you just want to say yes or no to lightly because it's a huge honour to be able to captain New Zealand. So it would take some thought.
"If I do it, I want to make sure I'm ready."
The next challenge for the White Ferns will be a home ODI and T20 series against Sri Lanka in March.
Melie Kerr's double strike wobbles Australia I Sport Nation
