Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini were both honoured for a record-equalling fourth time at the launch of the 2005 Mutual & Federal South African Cricket Annual in Gauteng on Monday.
Kallis and Ntini were among the five Mutual & Federal annual cricketers of the year named at the function.
Other players honoured were fast-bowler Andre Nel, who was recognised for the second time, and batsmen Boeta Dippenaar and AB de Villiers, who were both first-time nominees.
Record-breaking batsman Kallis and fast-bowler Ntini joined Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald, Ken McEwan and Clive Rice in being named cricketer of the year for the fourth time.
Editor Colin Bryden said both players were automatic choices after outstanding performances during the year covered by the annual.
Kallis continued to show his class as one of the outstanding batsmen in the world, going to the top of the South African all-time lists of Test runs and centuries scored.
Ntini was South Africa’s leading strike-bowler. Among his triumphs was a return of 13 for 132 against the West Indies in Trinidad, the best match figures by a South African in Test cricket.
Nel was named for his aggressive bowling, which added an extra dimension to the South African attack after several seasons during which the national team have relied almost exclusively on Ntini and Shaun Pollock.
De Villiers was one of the most outstanding newcomers to Test cricket anywhere in the world, showing a refreshing zest for the game and averaging 53,72 in his first season at the highest level.
Dippenaar, who has been a member of the national team since the 1999/2000 season, had his best season at international level, capping a string of consistent performances by securing his place in both the Test and one-day sides. He finished the season on a high note when he was man of the series in the one-day games against the West Indies.
Bryden said narrowing the candidates down to five was particularly difficult because a host of players had impressive performances.
Among previous nominees, South African captain Graeme Smith finished the season strongly, while wicketkeeper Mark Boucher made a stirring comeback to the national side after being dropped early in the season.
Ashwell Prince became a key member of the national team. Justin Kemp starred in one-day internationals and Charl Langeveldt had some outstanding bowling performances.
There were also some excellent achievements at domestic level by the likes of Lance Klusener, Hashim Amla, Tyron Henderson and Adam Bacher.
The annual is recognised as one of the most authoritative books of its kind, providing a full record of all major cricket played in South Africa. The 52nd edition of the publication has 608 pages of feature articles, colour pictures, match reports and statistics. — Sapa