Shabnim Ismail, Lizelle Lee receive maximum nominations in CSA Awards

Pacer Shabnim Ismail and batter Lizelle Lee dominate CSA Awards nominations as Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced the nominees for the awards for 2021 on Monday (May 24). The winners will be named on May 31 via CSA’s social media handles.



“It is my great pleasure and privilege to congratulate all the nominees as we celebrate the achievements of both our Proteas men’s and Momentum Proteas women’s squads,” said Pholetsi Moseki, CSA acting CEO.



“As no player in the women’s section achieved the necessary criteria to be considered for the Women’s International Newcomer of the Year we have thought out of the box to ‘honour’ our Black Day kit which our Proteas women wore to draw attention to the campaign against the scourge of violence against women and children.”



Ismail, who was crowned South Africa Women’s Player of the Year in 2015, has been nominated in a whopping six categories in Women’s T20 International Cricketer of the Year, Women’s One-Day International Cricketer of the Year, SA Fans’ Cricketer of the Year, Streetwise Award, CSA Delivery of the Year and SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year.



ALSO READ: Shabnim Ismail and relentlessness



Lee, currently ranked No. 1 in the ODI batting rankings, has been nominated for Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, SA Fans’ Cricketer of the Year, Streetwise Award and SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year. Her fellow opener, Laura Wolvaardt, has been nominated in three categories namely Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, SA Fans’ Player of the Year and SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year.



Sune Luus, who captained the side in the absence of regular skipper Dane van Niekerk against Pakistan and India, has been nominated in two categories.



32-year-old Ismail is the leading wicket-taker for South Africa in both formats this year with 14 wickets in eight ODIs at an average of 22.92 and another 11 wickets from six T20Is including her career-best T20I figures of 5 for 12 against Pakistan.



Big-hitting Lee is the highest run-getter for South Africa in ODIs this year with 384 runs from seven ODIs at an average of 76.80 with a century and two fifties. She is also the joint leading run-scorer along with Tazmin Brits in T20Is with 118 runs from five matches. Brits has also been nominated in the T20 International Cricketer of the Year for her consecutive half-centuries.



ALSO READ: Lizelle giving herself some Lee-way



A jury consisting of Jeremy Fredericks, Crystal Arnold, Makhaya Ntini, Clinton du Preez, Lungani Zama and Natalie Germanos chose the nominees for the year. The Women’s Players’ Player of the Year is yet to be decided.



"The CSA Awards are one of my personal highlights of the year where we get to sit down and review the performances of the players and relive the big performances from the season. Looking at the nominees this year, they all did excellently to get here," said Fredericks, convener of the jury.



Awards Nominees (Women):



Streetwise Award



Shabnim Ismail (5/12 v Pakistan in 2^nd T20 in Durban)



Lizelle Lee (132 vs India, 3rd ODI in Lucknow)



CSA Delivery of the Year



Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas



Women’s T20 International Cricketer of the Year



Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Shabnim Ismail, Sune Luus



Women’s One Day International Cricketer of the Year



Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt



Fan’s Cricketer of the Year



Shabnim Ismail, Lizelle Lee, Nonkululeku Mlaba, Laura Wolvaardt



Women’s Cricketer of the Year



Shabnim Ismail, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt