Ashleigh Gardner: Australia Women's All-Round Star

Ashleigh Gardner is one of the most complete cricketers in the women's game — an off-spinning all-rounder who bats with power in the middle order and bowls tightly with the ability to take wickets. In 2022, she was named ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year, recognising her status as one of the finest women's cricketers on the planet.

Batting

Gardner bats in the middle order for Australia Women with a strike rate that rivals the best T20 batters globally. She hits the ball with tremendous power, targeting the long boundaries and using her height and long reach to drive through the line. In T20 cricket she is particularly devastating in the final five overs, where she can change the match with a brief, explosive innings.

Off-Spin Bowling

Gardner's off-spin is tight, disciplined, and dangerous at the highest level. She extracts good turn on responsive pitches and her accuracy means she is one of the hardest bowlers to hit. In Tests, she has taken multi-wicket hauls. In limited-overs cricket, her economy rate and wicket-taking ability make her Australia's most potent spin option in the middle overs.

ICC Cricketer of the Year 2022

Gardner's 2022 was one of the great individual seasons in women's cricket — she topped both the batting and bowling charts for Australia Women across various series and played a central role in Australia maintaining their dominance of women's cricket globally. Her ICC award was a recognition of an outstanding performer across all three formats.