Laura Wolvaardt captains the 12-strong team which features Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk from South Africa,
Three players from the victorious India side have been named in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Team of the Tournament.
Deepti Sharma, the competition’s leading wicket-taker who took a magnificent five for 39 in the final, is joined by teammates Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues.
The trio are joined by three players from the tournament runners up, South Africa – Team of the Tournament captain, Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk – along with the same number of Australians – Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland and Alana King.
Two English players – Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone – and Pakistan’s Sidra Nawaz complete the squad.
The selection panel consists of commentators Ian Bishop, Mel Jones and Isa Guha, Gaurav Saxena (ICC General Manager – Events and Corporate Communications) and Estelle Vasudevan (Journalist Representative).
The openers were on opposing sides in the final, with Mandhana picked to partner Laura Wolvaardt at the top of the order.
The pair finished comfortably as the leading run scorers in the competition, Wolvaardt topping the charts on 571 at an outstanding average of 71.37 – the leading individual run-scorer at an ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – including majestic, back-to-back centuries in the semi-final and final.
Mandhana, who reached three figures herself against New Zealand in the league stage, finished the tournament with 434 runs at an average of 54.25.
Mandhana’s teammate Rodrigues slots in at three following her unforgettable match-winning knock of 127 not out which sent the hosts into the final at Australia’s expense.
Sharma is another Indian star selected after topping the bowling charts with 22 scalps, including her decisive spell in the showpiece.
The Proteas are also well represented in addition to Wolvaardt. Marizanne Kapp takes her place in the side after another strong showing with bat and ball in recent weeks, scoring two half-centuries and taking 12 wickets. That tally featured five for 20 against England in the semi-final, which helped her become the leading wicket-taker in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup history.
Her teammate, Nadine de Klerk also had an impressive all-round tournament, her unbeaten 84 from 54 balls helped her side down India in the league stage, while she also chipped in with nine wickets.
Australian bowlers, Alana King and Annabel Sutherland both feature, after King made history by taking seven for 18 against South Africa in the league stage, the best bowling figures at any ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Sutherland finished with 17 wickets, second only to Sharma, and contributed an unbeaten 98 to help her side past England in the round robin stage. She did so as part of a 180-run stand with Ashleigh Gardner, who compiled her second century of the competition in that match and is named in the middle order – she also took seven wickets for good measure.
Sidra Nawaz takes the gloves after three catches and four stumpings for Pakistan, including a terrific take down the leg side to dismiss Harmanpreet Kaur against India and lightning quick reflexes to whip the bails off and remove Kim Garth in her side’s clash with Australia.
Sophie Ecclestone completes the 11 after taking 16 wickets at 14.25 apiece, including four-wicket hauls against Sri Lanka and South Africa, while her teammate Nat Sciver-Brunt, who contributed 262 runs and nine wickets, is selected as 12th player following an excellent first World Cup as captain.
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Team of the Tournament
- Smriti Mandhana
- Laura Wolvaardt (c)
- Jemimah Rodrigues
- Marizanne Kapp
- Ashleigh Gardner
- Deepti Sharma
- Annabel Sutherland
- Nadine de Klerk
- Sidra Nawaz (w)
- Alana King
- Sophie Ecclestone
- Nat Sciver-Brunt (12th player)
Fl00d
South Africa’s domestic rugby competition, called the Currie Cup, dates back to 1891 and is one of the oldest rugby competitions in the world. The competition features South African provincial teams and is named after the British colonial administrator Sir Donald Currie, who donated the trophy.
Kingfisher
Sport Trivia: In 2005, this South African made a record eleventh win at the Molokai World Surf Ski Championships, ten of which were consecutive wins. He has also won the South Africa Iron Man competition four times. Answer: Oscar Chalupsky – has also represented South Africa in the 1992 Olympics as captain and participant in the canoe team. He holds various South African and international titles.