Proteas star Wolvaardt nominated for ICC Women's Player of the Month

Proteas star Laura Wolvaardt is one of three nominees for the ICC Women's Player of the Month for March.

Wolvaardt's efforts with the bat were critical to her team reaching the semi-finals of the Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.

Before the final, she was the tournament's leading run-scorer, amassing 433 runs at an average of 54.12, passing 50 on five occasions and proving a thorn in the side of many opposition teams.

Wolfaardt is up against England's Sophie Ecclestone and Australia's Rachael Haynes for the covered award.

Ecclestone's outstanding bowling performances during the month helped steer her side to the World Cup final.

Ecclestone's spin bowling caused problems throughout the tournament for opposition batters, as she took 20 wickets during the calendar month at an average of 12.85. Her prowess was capped by a magnificent spell in the win over South Africa in the semi-final, taking 6 for 36 to ensure a 137-run victory.

Haynes scored 429 runs in the eight matches she played during March and was at the forefront of Australia's unbeaten run through the tournament.

Averaging 61.28 during March, along with a healthy strike rate of 84.28, her stellar performances came at crucial times - she notched 130 against England in their opening match and 85 in the semi-final victory over the West Indies.

Men's nominees

Meanwhile, the Men's Player of the Month Nominees for March are Pakistan's Babar Azam, West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite and Australia's Pat Cummins.

Pakistan skipper Azam played an integral part in his side's batting during the recent Test series against Australia. Despite not ending the three-match series victorious, Babar amassed 390 runs during the month, including a record-breaking 196 in the second Test to