Kenya women's team captain Queentor Abel officially received her 2023 International Cricket Council (ICC) Associate Woman Player of the Year award on Wednesday.
The announcement was made by ICC in January in Dubai but the presentation was conducted on Wednesday by Cricket Kenya CEO Ronald Bukusi and CK women director, Pearlyn Omamo.
Abel, 27, was honoured following her pivotal role during the T20 World Cup Africa Regional Division Two Qualifier and Division One last year in Entebbe, Uganda, where Kenya performed dismally. The qualifiers for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in Bangladesh.
For the first time, two spots are up for grabs from the African region as Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe look to book their place in the global qualifier set for Dubai.
Kenya have been placed in Group 'A' alongside favourites Zimbabwe, Botswana and Tanzania. Group 'B' comprises Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda.
Other Kenya team members who featured in the Uganda show were—Esther Wachira (assistant captain), Josephine Abwom, Mercy Ahono, Lavendah, Idambo, Melvin Khagoitsa, Kreeshna Mehta, Charity Muthoni (wk), Mary Mwangi (wk), Jemimah Ndanu, Flavia Odhiambo, Kelvia Ogola, Judith Ogolla and Venasa Ooko.
In Botswana in September last year, Abel won the Player of the tournament award in Division Two, where she amassed 238 runs in five innings and claimed 12 wickets at a remarkable average of 2.84.
In the Division One tournament, her prowess continued as she captured six wickets at an average of 6.83.
"The awards saw global cricket fans cast their votes for individual winners on ICC channel alongside a specialist Voting Academy made up of prominent journalists, broadcasters, former international players and hall of famers," her award memo read in part.
The non-monetary award recognition came in the form of a trophy.
Abel's success marks a groundbreaking moment as the first ICC award bestowed upon a woman national player in Kenya.
In 2007, Thomas Odoyo broke ground by winning and entering the Kenyan bracket category accolade in the men's category.
Omamo described the award as a testament to Quentor's potential and her outstanding performance in 2023.
"With this award under her belt, Queentor's journey in cricket continues, paving the way for future generations and opening up new opportunities in the sport," Omamo said during the presentation of the award.
"Winning the ICC recognition out of 96 countries and thousands of participants is indeed monumental," she noted. Queentor attributed the significance of the award to her dedication and hard work.
"I dedicate this award to my teammates, coaches and club recognising their collective effort in my success," she said.
In the T20 internationals, Abel has amassed over 1000 runs and claimed over 50 wickets. Her journey, which began in 2011, serves as an inspiration, embodying the spirit of cricket without boundaries.]
