Chanderpaul ICC Player of Year

2008-09-10 20:34

Dubai - West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul was named as the 2008 International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricketer of the Year at an awards ceremony here on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old left-hander, a mainstay of his side's batting for over a decade, became the fifth player to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, named after the legendary West Indies all-rounder, ahead of his three fellow nominees - Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, South Africa skipper Graeme Smith and Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn.

During the voting period, the gritty Guyanese played eight Test matches, scoring 819 runs at an average of 91.00, including three centuries and six fifties, all of which were against the top seven teams in the world.

The Sri Lanka cricket team was named as the recipients of the Spirit of Cricket Award.

It is the second year in a row that Mahela Jayawardena?s team has won this award, which is presented to the team which, in the opinion of the Emirates Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and Match Referees has best conducted itself on the field within the spirit of the game.

India one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won the ODI Player of the Year award.

Dhoni beat off tough competition from team-mate Sachin Tendulkar, Australia fast bowler Nathan Bracken and Pakistan stalwart Mohammad Yousuf to take the prestigious award.

Twice as many

During the voting period, Dhoni played 39 ODIs and scored 1 298 runs at an average of 49.92 and at a rate of 82.46 runs per 100 balls faced. In that time he hit a century and nine fifties making sure he led his team from the front.

Also in that time, wicketkeeper Dhoni captured 62 dismissals (46 catches and 16 stumpings), which is almost twice as many as the next best, albeit having played more matches than any other 'eeper.

He is currently ranked number one in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen.

Sri Lanka's new find Ajantha Mendis has won the Emerging Player of the Year award.

The mystery tweaker has exploded on to the international scene and taken the world by storm with his mesmerising brand of spin bowling. In just three Tests, the 23-year-old has taken an amazing 26 wickets at an average of 18.38 sending shockwaves through the world of cricket.

India's flamboyant batsman Yuvraj Singh became the inaugural winner of the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year Award in recognition of his amazing six sixes in one over during the ICC World Twenty20 2007 in South Africa.

This new award highlights the most impressive performances by players in Twenty20 Internationals during the 12-month voting period and it marks the advent of this exciting new format of the game at international level.

Netherlands all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate has been voted the Associate Player of the Year for 2008.

- SAPA