West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene and South African speedster Dale Steyn head the shortlist for this year’s International Cricket Council (ICC) awards announced on Monday.
The trio are in the running for the Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year awards, which will be presented at a function in Dubai on Wednesday.
Chanderpaul topped the Test and one-day averages over the year since last August, while Steyn captured 86 wickets in 14 Tests at home, in India and England.
South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, who led his team to their first Test series win in England for 43 years, is also in the reckoning for the Cricketer of the Year prize.
The shortlists in nine categories, including the newly introduced Twenty20 International Performance of the Year, were announced by ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat in New Delhi.
Four players vie for the new award owing to their showing in last year’s inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa.
West Indies batsman Chris Gayle scored 117 from 57 balls against South Africa, wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni captained India to victory while compatriot Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes in one over against England. Australia paceman Brett Lee claimed a hat-trick against Bangladesh.
Awards and shortlists:
Cricketer of the Year:
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn (both South Africa).
Test Player of the Year:
Chanderpaul, Jayawardene, Steyn, Jacques Kallis (South Africa).
ODI Player of the Year:
Nathan Bracken (Australia), Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar (both India), Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan).
Emerging Player of the Year:
Stuart Broad (England), Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka), Morne Morkel (South Africa), Ishant Sharma (India).
Associates ODI Player of the Year:
Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Alex Obanda, Thomas Odoyo (both Kenya), Niall O’Brien (Ireland).
Twenty20 International Performance of the Year:
Chris Gayle (West Indies), Brett Lee (Australia), Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni (both India).
Women’s Player of the Year:
Nicola Browne (New Zealand), Charlotte Edwards, Claire Taylor (both England), Lisa Sthalekar (Australia).
Spirit of Cricket:
Bangladesh, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies
Umpire of the Year:
Mark Benson (England), Aleem Dar (Pakistan), Simon Taufel, Steve Davis (both Australia), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa). — Reuters