India withdraw charge against Hogg

Brad Hogg has reason to be relieved now that India have withdrawn their charge © Getty Images
 

Two days before the Perth Test the sun finally shone through the cloud that has been hanging over this series for the past week, with India dropping their charge of abuse against Brad Hogg, Australia’s chinaman bowler. Later in the day, it would emerge that the two captains had agreed to scrap the contentious catching agreement that sparked off the controversy surrounding Michael Clarke.Hogg was accused of making an offensive remark to Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the second Test in Sydney and charged under Level 3 of the ICC Code of Conduct following a complaint by Indian team manager Chetan Chauhan.The decision to drop charges was taken at a meeting of the two captains, Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble, convened by Ranjan Madugalle, the ICC’s chief match referee, who was flown in in the aftermath of the Sydney Test controversy. It capped an evening of fast-moving developments that saw six statements read out at the local Hyatt in the space of a couple of hours.It gives the Indian team the moral high ground and transfers pressure back on to Australia to drop the racism charge levelled at Harbhajan Singh – which will now be heard after the Test series – and Kumble, it is believed, indicated during the meeting the ball was in Australia’s court. However, it is understood that Australia will not be able, on technical grounds, to drop the racism charge against Harbhajan. The charge against Hogg was levelled by Chauhan, who withdrew it on Monday, while in Harbhajan’s case, the charges were brought by both the on-field umpires after a complaint by Ponting.Nonetheless, it was a significant decision and Kumble, explaining it, said the game had to move on. “Ricky and I had a discussion with Ranjan [Madugalle] and after that it was important that the game of cricket moves on,” he said. “Cricket is larger than any individual. It is important we forget what happened in Sydney, it was just one of those bad moments, just an incident probably in the heat of the moment. And we decided as a team to move on and remove the charges against Brad Hogg. It’s important that we moved on.””I enjoyed a productive meeting which I had with Anil Kumble and Ranjan Madugalle in which we talked through all the issues thoroughly,” Ponting said. “I am convinced that both the teams can move into the next game clearly understanding the parameters under which the game should be played and the teams acknowledge that the game must be played in its true spirit.””It’s a kind gesture, lovely gesture by the Indian team,” Hogg said. “It’s much appreciated by myself and the Australian cricket team. Hopefully the future contests between India and Australia are good viewing for the spectators and enjoyable for the teams.”Madugalle, who had earlier met the team managements separately, met the two captains at 5:15 pm. After the meeting, which lasted about half an hour, he was optimistic of the series carrying on in the right spirit.”Over the last couple of days we’ve had very useful discussions with captains and managers of both teams resulting in meeting with Anil and Ricky today,” Madugalle said after the meeting. “Both of them realise the importance of moving the game forward as opposed to reflecting on the events of the last week. And as captains they have the responsibility to uphold the game in the right spirit and play the game with mutual respect for one another. And I’m very confident that the next five days will see just that. So let’s all look forward to a great Test match.”Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI’s chief administrative officer, said he hoped the decision would help get the focus back to the game. “The decision to drop the charge against Brad Hogg was taken in the larger interest of the game,” Shetty told . “India has always upheld the spirit of the game and the on-field issues should not be taken outside the field.” On whether Australia would reciprocate and drop the charges against Harbhajan, Shetty said, “We really hope that Australia looks at it positively”.Mike Procter, the match referee at the SCG and the man in charge of the hearing today, called it a “magnificent” gesture. “I was tendered a letter from the [India] captain and the manager when the hearing started. So that’s all behind us now and we can get on with the cricket, which is great news. A wonderful gesture by India showing sportsmanship they possess and the way they play their game.”

Central Zone attack sets up easy win

Central Zone 99 for 4 beat West Zone 98 (Chawla 3-11, Praveen 3-18) by six wickets
Scorecard

Praveen Kumar hit his straps immediately in the Deodhar Trophy opener, which Central Zone won by six wickets © AFP
 

The Central Zone swing bowlers utilised a helpful surface, a 9am start, and overcast conditions to push the West Zone innings right to the edge of the cliff, before the spinners came and pushed it over swiftly. A total of 98 was an aberration in a high-scoring domestic one-day season, and Central got to the target without any major hiccups as the opening Deodhar Trophy match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium finished half an hour after lunch.Central won by six wickets, with a bonus point, while defending champions West were docked a minus point.Right from the moment Praveen Kumar bowled the first over, after Mohammad Kaif had put West in, it was obvious West were going to have a hard time. Yusuf Pathan, in prodigious form throughout the season, was embarrassed by two in-swingers that preceded an out-swinger, and seemed to have no clue about which way Praveen swung the ball.Wasim Jaffer hit two beautiful cover drives off the back foot before he got a peach from Praveen in the third over. This one swung late after having angled in, as opposed to the early swing that Jaffer was leaving alone, and took the edge for a low catch for Kaif at first slip. RP Singh soon trapped Pathan with an in-swinger to pull West down to 15 for 2.Rohit Sharma, fresh from 235 runs in the CB Series in Australia and Ajinkya Rahane, also in good form, got a mini partnership going. It wasn’t a convincing one, however, as regular edges kept the bowlers interested. The duo had added 24 before Praveen changed sides and came on from the BEML end. He needed little time if forcing Rahane to chip one to point, and that dismissal triggered a frenzy. Two more wickets fell at the same score and the No. 7, Abhishek Nayar, was caught unawares and just about avoided being timed out. Rohit played an expansive drive and edged Sandeep Singh, Parthiv Patel followed a Praveen in-swinger, and 39 for 2 became 39 for 5.Nayar might have taken a long time in coming in to bat, but he did stay in the longest to help West get close to 100. Together with Venugopal Rao he forced Kaif to opt for the spinners as they batted sensibly to add 31 for the sixth wicket. Kaif wanted to finish the game off with swing bowlers only, as he continued with Praveen (3 for 18), RP (22 for 1), and Sandeep (21 for 1) for 22 overs. The introduction of spin, normally a reason for cheer given the way the medium-pacers bowled, proved to be the kiss of death for West. Piyush Chawla bowled Rao round the legs with his first delivery, continued to get Iqbal Abdulla caught down the leg by wicketkeeper with his third, and a one-sided contest was reduced to a no contest.Murali Kartik enjoyed the situation with a number of dangerous arm-balls, one of them trapping Ajit Agarkar in front. When he tossed one up to Munaf Patel, the tail-ender obliged by skying it to mid-off. Another collape, as West slipped from 70 for 5 to 81 for 9 in four overs. Nayar hit two boundaries and a six before being caught at the boundary off a full toss from Chawla, who finished with 3 for 11. When Nayar and Rao were batting, it seemed West might struggle and bat out the 50 overs, but their innings ended in the 30th over.By the time Munaf, Agarkar and Siddharth Trivedi started bowling, the pitch had lost much of its early-morning freshness, the sun had come out, and the only thing going for them was the good bounce. But the minimal target meant that Faiz Fazal and Naman Ojha, the Central openers, were under no pressure and they negotiated the new ball well. Fazal looked more intent at finishing the game early, and by the time he edged Trivedi to second slip, he had scored 24 off 30 balls, and Central had reached 41 in 7.5 overs.That Central lost Ojha, Suresh Raina and Kaif just at the brink of the win will leave West wondering what could have happened had they batted through the innings and struggled their way to perhaps 170-odd.

SPCL1 Week12 – Bashley up to second

Bashley (Rydal) lie second in the ECB Southern Electric Premier League after an convincing three-wicket win over lowly Liphook & Ripsley.The victory took them above Havant – who lost by 70 runs to the Hampshire Academy – and into the runners-up slot behind runaway leaders BAT Sports, who put their unbeaten nine-match record at risk at the BCG on Saturday.Seventeen wickets fell for 190 runs at Ripsley Park, but former Bashley skipper Neil Taylor felt that poor batting was to blame, rather than an undistinguished pitch."Lets say it was lack of application that caused most of the wickets to fall," he said diplomatically."It wasn’t a great strip to bat on, but it was more a 140 wicket than 94 all out in Liphook’s case."John Whiting (4-13)and Kevin Nash (3-28) were more than a handful for Liphook, who sank from 31-2 to 43-7 against the two Bashley seamers.David Wade (32) and Glyn Read (17) showed the application that was needed, but despite their eighth-wicket rally, Liphook were almost bowled out for 94 by lunch.Bashley hardly batted much better, with Andy Sexton (17) the only batsman in the top six to get into double figures.Tim Wheatley (3-32) and left-armer Read (2-20) created panic in the visitors’ ranks as Bashley faced an improbable defeat at 41-6.But Neil Sexton, with a carefully hit 33, and Neil Taylor (15 not out) turned the match in Bashley’s favour by doubling the total with a decisive eighth-wicket partnership which all but secured the points.Bournemouth experienced far less hassle in beating struggling Portsmouth by six wickets at Chapel Gate – but they did make rather hard work of their victory.Nick Reeves (2-30) struck two key blows early on, having former Hampshire all-rounder Lee Savident caught behind and re-arranging South African Andrew Locke’s stumps, both without scoring.It meant Ben Thane (28) and Naqeeb Ali Mohamed (19) having to squeeze out every run, particularly off Jo Wilson, who sent down his initial 13 overs of seam at a personal cost of five runs !The Liverpudlian, who finished with 3-25 off 18 overs, removed Naqeeb, Dean Oliffe and Paul Ancell in quick succession to have Portsmouth reeling at 68-6.Matt Keech, who made 87, found himself fighting a lone battle, although either side of lunch student Dan Neville provided valued support.With left-arm spinners Shaun Walbridge (5-48) and Adam Voges bowling in tandem, runs were always hard to come by and once the Dorset vice-captain had removed Portsmouth’s seventh-wicket pair, the end was nigh.When the watchful Nick Park (45) and Voges (40) took Bournemouth’s reply to 96-1, Portsmouth’s 159 all out appeared an academic target.But Bournemouth found themselves bogged down and lost four wickets before Matt Swarbrick (28 not out) and Charlie Holcomb took them home.

Bangladesh find little comfort in statistics

That Bangladesh will be drubbed 0-2 by Australia is an almost foregone conclusion – barring serious intervention from the weather gods, any other result seems improbable. Bangladesh will need more modest yardsticks to measure their progress. Extending the Tests to the fourth day would be a start. In their 19 previous matches, they have only managed that 11 times, and the weather had a huge hand to play on a couple of those occasions. Among the teams who have inflicted three-day defeats on Bangladesh are Pakistan (three times), Sri Lanka (twice), West Indies (twice) and South Africa (once). Significantly, Bangladesh haven’t yet lost a Test inside two days.David Hookes’s suggestion of a one-day Test is far-fetched, but Australia will surely fancy their chances of bowling Bangladesh out twice in a day. Already, Bangladesh’s two innings have lasted less than a combined total of 90 overs on two occasions. Against Pakistan at Multan in 2001, Bangladesh were bowled out in 41.1 overs in each innings, while West Indies bowled them out twice in 86 overs in Dhaka in 2002-03. On an average, Bangladesh have survived 132 overs per Test – that’s almost four-and-a-half sessions – while a Test featuring Bangladesh has lasted 263 overs, nearly three complete days.Worryingly for Bangladesh, though, their form has slumped considerably of late. In their last 11 Tests, Bangladesh average just 160 in their first innings and 173 in their second, compared to their overall averages of 182 (first innings) and 184 (second innings).Bangladesh have also notched up the dubious distinction of the maximum number of consecutive Test defeats. It currently stands at 13, and is likely to go up by two by the end of this series. It’s easily the longest losing streak; Zimbabwe are next in line with nine. New Zealand may have needed 45 matches to record their first win, but their worst run only consisted of six consecutive losses. After 19 Tests, they had lost just six, while India had 11 defeats and eight draws at the same stage of their Test career.Most consecutive losses in Test history
Bangladesh – 13 (Nov 2001 to May 2003) Zimbabwe (1), New Zealand (2), Pakistan (2), Sri Lanka (2), South Africa (4) and West Indies (2)
Zimbabwe – 9 (Nov 2001 to June 2003) lost to England (2), Pakistan (2), India (2) and Sri Lanka (3)
England – 8 (Nov 1920 to July 1921) lost to Australia
South Africa – 8 (March 1889 to April 1899) – lost to England
Australia – 7 (March 1885 to February 1888) – lost to England
India – 7 (July 1967 to January 1968) – lost to England (3) and Australia (4)
West Indies – 7 (November 2000 to January 2001) – lost to England (2) and Australia (5)
New Zealand – 6 (January 1954 to November 1955) – lost to South Africa (2), England (2) and Pakistan (2)
Pakistan – 5 (November 1999 to March 2000) – lost to Australia (3) and Sri Lanka (2)
Sri Lanka – 5 (January 1994 to August 1994) – lost to India (3) and Pakistan (2)
Another dubious distinction for Bangladesh: Only seven times has a team won all Tests in a series by an innings, and Bangladesh have been at the receiving end four times. Five out of those seven occurences have happened since 2000, the latest one being Zimbabwe’s capitulation in the two-Test series in England.The seven instances of a team winning every Test of a series by an innings:

  Series Winner Margin
1 England v West Indies (1928) England Innings and 58, 30 and 71 runs
2 India v Sri Lanka (1993-94) India Innings and 119, 95 and 17 runs
3 New Zealand v Bangladesh (2001-02) New Zealand Innings and 52 and 74 runs
4 Bangladesh v Pakistan (2001-02) Pakistan Innings and 178 and 169 runs
5 South Africa v Bangladesh (2002-03) South Africa Innings and 107 and 160 runs
6 Bangladesh v South Africa (2002-03) South Africa Innings and 60 and 18 runs
7 England v Zimbabwe (2003) England Innings and 92 and 69 runs

Through all the stats about Bangladesh’s dismal display, here’s a crumb of comfort: Bangladesh, relatively speaking, haven’t succumbed to the pressures of playing overseas. Their second-innings average abroad is 188 – marginally better than the corresponding figure of 180 at home – while their first-innings average is only slightly worse (178 compared to 186).

Lawson given the all clear

Jermaine Lawson taking a wicket during the Vice Chancellor’s match against England© Getty Images

At last Jermaine Lawson – and West Indies – have some good news. The board’s bowling committee has decreed that Lawson’s new action is completely legal, and he is now available for selection for the national side.The committee studied Lawson’s action while trawling through video footage of his performance during the Vice Chancellor’s XI warm-up match against England in March.The board was all praise for Lawson, who first came under suspicion this time last year and then underwent remedial action to kink out any problems.They applauded the effort and commitment he put in, as well as singling out Lawson’s coaches.

Shoaib Akhtar to play in warm-up game

Shoaib Akhtar: can he make an instant impact?© AFP

Shoaib Akhtar has been included in Pakistan’s team to play against the Western Australian 2nd XI in a three-day match at the James Oval starting on December 1. Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Asif, the medium-pacer, will also get a chance.Matthew Petrie, the former Queensland fast-bowler, was included in the Western Australian side. Petrie moved to WA in the off-season in a bid to further his chances of selection to the state side. James Sprague will also feature in his first representative match for WA.Play is scheduled to begin at 10.30am each day and the match will be played under the same conditions as a Cricket Australia Cup match where all 12 players can play but only 11 may bat and bowl.Pakistan
Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Mohammed Sami, Danish Kaneria, Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Malik.Western Australian 2nd XI
Adam Voges (capt), Justin Coetzee, Liam Davis, Sean Ervine, Aaron Heal, Sam Howman, Scott Meuleman, Matthew Petrie, Luke Ronchi (wk), Craig Simmons, James Sprague, Peter Worthington.

ICC names umpires for India-Australia series

The International Cricket Council has nominated the umpires and match referees who will officiate in the four-match Test series between India and Australia. Ranjan Madugalle, from Sri Lanka, will be the ICC Match Referee, and Steve Bucknor (West Indies), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa), Billy Bowden (New Zealand), David Shepherd (England) and Aleem Dar (Pakistan) will be the umpires.1st Test, Bangalore Steve Bucknor and Billy Bowden2nd Test, Chennai Rudi Koertzen and David Shepherd3rd Test, Nagpur Aleem Dar and David Shepherd4th Test, Mumbai Aleem Dar and Rudi KoertzenMatch Referee Ranjan Madugalle

Angel bows out after Pura Match

WESTERN Australian fast-bowling legend Jo Angel will retire after the Pura Cup match against NSW at the WACA Ground starting this Friday.Angel said that by leaving the side he was hoping to create opportunities for some of the young bowlers coming through the WA ranks.”Hopefully some guys can get an opportunity over the last couple of games to go on and be ten-year players, which I’ve been very fortunate to be,” he said.Angel debuted for WA in 1991-92 against New South Wales at the WACA Ground. The NSW team included Mark and Steve Waugh.”It’s ironic I suppose that the last game will be against them (NSW),” he said.”It would be nice to get them plus a few others hopefully in this game and hopefully we can get a few points and finish off on the right note.”I have thoroughly enjoyed my time it’s gone very, very quickly, my first game only seems like only yesterday.”Angel said the game has changed in his 13 years at the top.”Everything’s more professional these days, all the I’s are dotted and all the T’s are crossed,” Angel said.”I think back in the old days it was a bit more hap-hazard. It’s amazing how much the game has changed and developed.”The game will move on, I hoped I’ve left a bit of a legacy there to aim for and I hope someone can beat my record.”Angel said that he wanted to give something back to the game through coaching.Angel is WA’s leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket. In 120 first-class matches for WA Angel has taken 480 wickets at an average of 25.14. In 104 Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup games he has taken 414 wickets at an average of 24.90.He has taken five wickets in an innings on 16 occasions and has once taken 10 wickets in a match.Angel is the second highest wicket-taker in Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup history. Only legendary leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmet has taken more with 513 wickets, a record unlikely to ever be beaten.Angel and Grimmet are the only bowlers to take more than 400 wickets in the Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup.The WACA Ground has been a happy hunting ground for Angel. In 53 Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup matches here Angel has taken 248 wickets at an average of 22.94 with 10 five-wicket hauls.He recorded career-best figures of 6-35 against Queensland at the WACA Ground last season.The WACA has dedicated the final home Pura Cup match of the season to Angel and will hold a lunch in his honour on Friday at the WACA ground. Many past WA greats are expected to attend.In other news Warriors fast-bowler Michael Clark will not be available for the Pura Cup match against NSW after he strained a quadriceps muscle while batting against NSW in WA’s ING Cup win last night.Darren Wates comes into the WA 12 for the game. John Taylor is on stand-by for Beau Casson who is nursing a stitch in the webbing of his left hand. Casson suffered the injury while fielding for WA last night.A decision on whether the left-arm wrist spinner will play will be made before play tomorrow morning.The WA SquadJustin Langer (c), Jo Angel, Ryan Campbell, Beau Casson, Ben Edmondson, Murray Goodwin, Kade Harvey, Michael Hussey, Scott Meuleman, Marcus North, Chris Rogers, John Taylor and Darren Wates.With the call up of Brad Haddin to the Australian VB Series side Nathan Pilon has joined the NSW team and will take over wicket-keeping duties.The NSW TeamSteve Waugh (c), Dominic Thornely, Phil Jaques, Mark Waugh, Grant Lambert, Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken, Greg Mail, Matthew Nicholson, Stuart MacGill, Nathan Pilon, and Aaron O’Brien.The match starts at 11.00am with gates opening at 10.00am

I'm good enough to play as a Test batsman – Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly: ‘To get a stronger team, I have sacrificed and batted at No. 4 [in ODIs]’ © Getty Images

Sourav Ganguly has insisted that the current dip in his form is only a temporary slump, and that he is still good enough to command a place in the team in both forms of the game.In an interview with , a Chennai-based sports magazine, Ganguly hit back at critics who have been suggesting that he is no longer among the best Test batsmen in the country. “I don’t think it’s right to say that I won’t be able to hold a Test spot as a batsman. As I said, it all has cropped up because I didn’t play well against Pakistan in the last series [in 2004-05]. I realise that I have to make runs, I have to make the most of the opportunities that I get.”But when you have been around for ten years, you go through periods like that. But at the same time, I realise that I have to get big runs as an important member of the team. I agree that I have not played well in the last six to seven months but I have played well over a span of ten years. If I can get things together, I don’t see why I can’t do well again.”Ganguly has averaged less than 36 in his last 14 Tests, while his ODI form has been even more worrying – no centuries in his last 42 matches, and an average of only 26. Ganguly responded to the criticism thus: “One must also realise that when you play for a span of 10-11 years, it’s not going to be the same standards that you have set for yourself. You must also realise that I have not opened consistently in one-day cricket, which used to be my strength, where I have got all my hundreds, it’s been at the top of the order. And to get a stronger team, I have sacrificed and batted at No. 4.” Ganguly has scored 19 of his 23 centuries as an opener, but his best career stats are at No. 3, where he has scored three hundreds and averages 52.15 in 30 games. Of late, though, Ganguly’s form as an ODI opener has dipped as well: in the last 42 games, he has opened the batting 19 times, and averages only 25 at that position, down from his career average of 41 at the top of the order. At No. 4, though, he has clearly struggled, averaging 17 in ten matches.”Still, in spite of batting at No. 4, before the Pakistan tour started last season, I was the third-highest run-getter in the world in one-day cricket,” Ganguly continued. “Rahul was number one with Sangakkara second, and I was third, and the difference was only 20-30 runs. The only opportunity I got to open was in England, and out of the four games, I should have got two hundreds, instead I made two 90s.”Ganguly also cited the lack of runs from the senior batsmen as the primary reason for India’s poor results in the ODIs. “I feel our performances in the last one year have dipped because people like me and Sachin [Tendulkar] haven’t made big hundreds, which we did for the last one year. When you get two of your top-order batsmen, one with 13,000 runs and the other with 10,000 runs in just a span of nine years, you cannot be out of form for a long time. The only thing I see is that I have not met the standards I have set in terms of scoring hundreds and in terms of the number of match-winning knocks that I have played.”Talking about the thorny captaincy issue, Ganguly insisted that he had no problems playing under Dravid. “Playing for India is more than enough. And I have been captain for five years all around the world. I’ve got nothing left to prove as a captain. Really did not matter to me, actually it felt nice to play without any thoughts and just concentrate on my game. It doesn’t matter who is the captain, it has to be a team and all 16 contributing if India has to do well from now on till whatever time.”

Dravid, Jayawardene and Ponting lead awards

Rahul Dravid has done well in his first season as captain © Getty Images

Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting and Mahela Jayawardene have been nominated in four categories for the annual ICC awards. The three Test captains from India, Australia and Sri Lanka dominated the nominations, including the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for the cricketer of the year.Andrew Flintoff and Shane Warne, the men-of-the-series in the Ashes, and Muttiah Muralitharan were the other prominent players in the running for the top award, which included a surprise nominee in Monty Panesar, the England spinner. Dravid, Ponting and Jayawardene were also in contention for three other awards – Test Player of the Year, Captain of the Year and one-day Player of the Year.The awards, covering performances from August 1 2005 to August 8 2006 will be presented on October 23 in Mumbai during the Champions Trophy. The nominations were compiled by five former Test stars led by Sunil Gavaskar of India, who is also the chairman of ICC’s Cricket Committee.The other selectors were Allan Donald of South Africa, Ian Healy of Australia, Arjuna Ranatunga of Sri Lanka and Waqar Younis of Pakistan. The final selection will be voted by a 56-member ICC academy comprising the 10 Test captains, 18 members of the umpires and match referees panel and 28 legends of the game and members of the media.Dravid will be in with a strong chance of the captain’s award as since he took over in October of last year, India have enjoyed Test and one-day wins at home over Sri Lanka, one-day wins over Pakistan and England and a historic Test series win in the West Indies, the first since 1970-71.Dravid had won the inaugural award for the Test Player of the Year and the Player of the Year two years ago. However, the likes of Jayawardene – who has led Sri Lanka outstandingly in England – and Ricky Ponting who guided Australia to 11 wins in 12 Tests since the Ashes will offer a stiff challenge.The Captain of the Year and Women’s Cricketer of the Year awards have been introduced this year. “Cricket is not just about runs, wickets and catches,” said Malcolm Speed, ICC chief executive, at the announcement in Mumbai. “It is also about tactics and the way a side conducts itself and the captain plays a pivotal role in those aspects of the game.”The Captain of the Year Award is designed to recognise the leader’s contribution to the game and to the spirit of cricket we all value so highly. The Award for Women’s Cricketer of the Year is a welcome and very appropriate addition to this year’s ceremony.It will serve to showcase the very best women’s cricketers, something that is vital as the ICC seeks to ensure the continued growth of the game at all levels.”Cricketer of the Year
Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Michael Hussey, Andrew Flintoff, Mohammed Yousuf, Rahul Dravid, Mahela Jayawardene, Younis Khan, Monty Panesar, Brett Lee, Makhaya Ntini, Adam Gilchrist.Test Player of the Year
Hussey, Ponting, Yousuf, Flintoff, Warne, Muralitharan, Dravid, Jayawardene, Younis, Hayden, Ntini, Kumar Sangakarra, Kevin PietersenOne-day Player of the Year
Hussey, Ponting, Flintoff, Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Dravid, Muttiah Muralitharan, Pietersen, Yousuf, Lee, Herschelle Gibbs, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul Haq, Adam Gilchrist, Yuvraj Singh, Shane Bond, Irfan Pathan,Emerging Player of the Year
Panesar, Alastair Cook, Denesh Ramdin, Malinga Bandara, Mohammed Asif, Upul Tharanga, Ian Bell, Shahriar Nafees.Captain of the Year
Dravid, Ponting, Jayawardene, Michael VaughanUmpire of the Year
Simon Taufel, Aleem Dar, Rudi Koertzen.Women’s Cricketer of the Year
Karen Rolton, Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Anjum Chopra, Neetu David, Claire Taylor, Katherine Brunt, Emily Drumm

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