[2][3] Introduced in 2006, the award adjudges the best-performed female international cricketer across an approximate twelve-month voting period.

[4][5] 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.

[6] Since 2009, a long list has been chosen by the ICC Awards voting panel, consisting of cricket administrators, journalists and former players.

In December 2020, after a reduced amount of international cricket had been played throughout the previous twelve months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ICC staged a special edition of its annual awards ceremony to recognise the best players of the past ten years.

India batter Smriti Mandhana is the next-most-decorated player across all categories, having won a total of four awards .