INDIAN batsman Sachin Tendulkar won the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Cricketer of the Year award while team mate Virender Sehwag was adjudged the Test Cricketer of the Year yesterday.
Tendulkar staved off the challenge from Sehwag, South African batsman Hashim Amla and England off-spinner Graeme Swann to lift the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.
The prolific Indian batsman also bagged the inaugural People’s Choice award and featured in both the Test and one-day international teams of the year.
“It’s fantastic to win this award, I’m really excited to have won two awards and this last season for the entire team has been really special,” an elated Tendulkar said.
“It feels great to have two trophies in front of me and I am feeling very proud and happy.”
Sehwag pipped Tendulkar and the South African duo of Dale Steyn and Amla to claim the Test award, his first ICC honour.
“I try to play the best I can in Test match cricket and play the same way I do in every format of the game,” Sehwag said.
“I’m a huge fan of Test cricket and I love to play it more than Twenty20 or one-day cricket.”
South African batsman AB de Villiers won the one-day Player of the Year award, while New Zealander Brendon McCullum pocketed the Twenty20 equivalent.
Pakistani Aleem Dar won his second successive David Shepherd trophy for being the Umpire of the Year.
Australian all-rounder Shelley Nitschke was named Women’s Cricketer of the Year, while Netherlands cricketer Ryan ten Doeschate won the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year award.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named captain of the ICC select Test team of the year while Ricky Ponting was made skipper of the one-day international side.
