The Hindu : Sport : Double delight for Ricky Ponting

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Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007
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Double delight for Ricky Ponting

Yousuf named Test Player of the Year; Hayden is ODI Player of the Year

— Photo: Duif du Toit /Getty Images

SIMPLY SUPERB: Ricky Ponting proudly displays the trophies at the ICC awards function.

Johannesburg: Australian captain Ricky Ponting was named Player of the Year at the prestigious ICC Awards held at a glittering ceremony here on Monday night.

Ponting also bagged the Captain of the Year award and was named captain of both ICC ODI and Test teams of the Year, chosen by a panel of some of the greats of the game.

The 32-year-old Tasmanian has had an outstanding year with the bat, dominating at both Test and ODI level, and has also established himself as one of the most tactically aware and fearless captains in the world.

Ponting was joined on the winners’ list by his teammates Matthew Hayden, who took the ODI Player of the Year award, and Shaun Tait, who was named Emerging Player of the Year.

Odoyo’s achievement

For the first time, there was an award for the Associate ODI Player of the Year to mark the contribution that the non-Full Member teams are making to the world of cricket.

Kenya’s all-rounder Thomas Odoyo became the inaugural winner of this award, having a fine year with both bat and ball.

Pakistan run machine Mohammad Yousuf clinched the Test Player of the Year award and Sri Lanka took the Spirit of Cricket Award.

“The past year has been another exciting one for cricket fans around the world in a time that included the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Cricket World Cup. These players have contributed hugely to our enjoyment,” ICC President Ray Mali said at the function.

Pleased as punch

“It is a great honour for me to receive this award. It’s not so long ago that my place in the side was far from certain so this is very pleasing for me,” ODI Player of the Year Hayden said.

Hayden beat off the challenge of teammates Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath to secure the award.

On winning the Cricketer of the Year Award, Ponting said: “It’s more of an eventful night that I thought it would be and I am honoured. It’s a great thrill for me and something I am very proud of. It’s a great achievement and something I will probably look back on this in years to come with a lot of pride. “I am the first player to win this award twice in a row and maybe if I keep my head down there might be more around the corner,” he said.

Ponting received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy from Mali.

The other short-listed nominees for the award were Yousuf and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Yousuf scores a first

Yousuf topped the poll ahead of England’s Kevin Pietersen and Ponting to win the Test player award. “This is the first time a Pakistan player has won this award and I am particularly delighted with that. Thanks to Allah, my Pakistan teammates. I want to thank the ICC panel for voting for me,” a thrilled Yousuf said.

Yousuf is the fourth recipient of the Test Player of the Year award following on from Ponting last year, Jacques Kallis of South Africa in 2005 and India’s Rahul Dravid in 2004.

The awardees: Cricketer of the Year: Ricky Ponting (Aus); Test Player of the Year: Mohammad Yousuf (Pak); ODI Player of the Year: Matthew Hayden (Aus); Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Jhu lan Goswami (Ind); Emerging Player of the Year: Shaun Tait (Aus); Associate ODI Player of the Year: Thomas Odoyo (Ken); Captain of the Year: Ricky Ponting (Aus); Spirit of Cricket: < /em>Sri Lanka; Umpire of the Year: Simon Taufel.

The World Test Team of the Year: Matthew Hayden (Aus), Michael Vaughan (Eng), Ricky Ponting (Aus, capt.), Mohammad Yousuf (Pak), Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Michael Hussey (Aus), Kumar Sangakkara (SL, wk), Stuart Clark (Aus), Makhaya Ntini (SA), Mohammad Asif (Pak) and Muttiah Muralitharan (SL); 12th man: Zaheer Khan (Ind).

The World ODI Team of the Year: Matthew Hayden (Aus), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Ricky Ponting (Aus, capt.), Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI), Jacques Kallis (SA), Mark Boucher (SA, wk) Chaminda Vaas (SL), Shane Bond (NZ ), Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) and Glenn McGrath (Aus); 12th man: Michael Hussey (Aus). — PTI

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