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The International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's Cricketer of the Year is an award given annually as part of the ICC Awards ceremony. Although the Awards were first held in 2004, the first women's award was made in 2006. Karen Rolton, the inaugural winner of the award commented that it was "great for women's cricket... that the ICC has included a women's award this year".
The award is based upon the players' performances in the voting period, typically from August for a year. Prior to 2009, each of the top ten women's national teams nominated two players, and the final selection was made by a 16-person panel. Since 2009, a long list has been chosen by the ICC Awards voting panel, composed of cricket administrators, journalists and former players. This is then trimmed to create a short list by a different, 25-person, board.
Between 2006 and 2011 it ran as a single category (Women's Player of the Year) award. From 2012 onwards it was divided into two categories (Women's ODI Player of the Year and Women's T20I Player of the Year).
In the ten years that the award has been presented, it has been won by nine different players. Stafanie Taylor and Sarah Taylor have won it three times each and Meg Lanning twice, making them the only multiple recipients of the awards. Stafanie Taylor have been short listed nine times (winning three times) the most by any player. Lisa Sthalekar have been short listed on the most occasions (3) without winning the award. In total, 22 players have been nominated from six different teams. Jhulan Goswami (2007 winner), Stafanie Taylor (2011, 2013 ODI, 2015 T20I winner) and Suzie Bates (2013 ODI winner) are the only winners not to play for either Australia or England, representing India, the West Indies and New Zealand respectively.