Jayawardene puts team first

2008-09-09 18:22

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, nominated for two International Cricket Council awards, prefers a team prize to individual honours.

Jayawardene is one of three players nominated for both Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year. The others are West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul and South Africa paceman Dale Steyn.

As well as individual categories, the awards will recognise the Test and limited-overs teams of the year and the team that has best embodied the "spirit of cricket." which was won by Sri Lanka last year.

"If you ask me which award makes me proudest, it would be the Spirit of Cricket award," Jayawardene said on Tuesday. "It's an award for the entire team, and we deserve all the accolades that come our way for playing the game in the right spirit."

The ICC names the winners on Wednesday in Dubai.

"It is an honor to be nominated," Jayawardene said of the individual awards. "The important thing is that I have played the game with passion, and my effort has been acknowledged."

Jayawardene has had an outstanding season, scoring 1 127 runs with five centuries at an average of 75.13.

- AP