Indian skipper features in four of the five categories, while Yuvraj and Pathan get nominated in ODI player of the year category.
NEW DELHI: Three captains lead the nominations for the year’s Hyundai ICC cricket awards released by the body’s chief executive Malcolm Speed in the Capital on Wednesday. India’s Rahul Dravid, Australia’s Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene are in contention for all four awards up for grabs for players who have been around for some time. Dravid was adjudged cricketer of the year and the best Test player in 2004, the inaugural year for the awards and as such his chances may be affected.
Despite being the number one ranked one-day player in the world for a short while early this year, MS Dhoni did not figure in the list of nominations. Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan managed to find a spot in the ODI player of the year nominations.
Dhoni has been ignored despite an average better than 15 of the17 cricketers nominated in the ODI Player of the Year category. Only Yuvraj Singh and Michael Hussey of Australia have an average better than Dhoni in the period under consideration — between August 1, 2005 and August 8, 2006. Incidentally, the panel that nominated the players for the awards under various categories is headed by former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar. ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed found it difficult to explain Dhoni's absence from the list.
“The selection panel has made the nominations. Why Dhoni was not included can be best answered by the panelists,” Speed said. Dhoni has accumulated 1,170 runs from 36 ODIs at an average of 55.71 in the last one year starting August 1. Among his notable performances was the 183 he scored against Sri Lanka in Jaipur. It is the highest score by any wicketkeeper in ODIs.
Nominations:
Cricketer of the Year: Ricky Ponting (AUS), Shane Warne (AUS), Muttiah Muralitharan (SRI), Michael Hussey (AUS), Andrew Flintoff (ENG), Mohammed Yousuf (PAK), Rahul Dravid (IND), Mahela Jayawardene (SRI), Younis Khan (PAK), Monty Panesar (ENG), Brett Lee (AUS), Makhaya Ntini (RSA), Adam Gilchrist (AUS).
Test Player of the Year: Michael Hussey (AUS), Ricky Ponting (AUS), Mohammed Yousuf (PAK), Andrew Flintoff (ENG), Shane Warne (AUS), Muttiah Muralitharan (SRI), Kumar Sangakarra (SRI), Rahul Dravid (IND), Mahela Jayawardene (SRI), Kevin Pietersen (ENG), Younis Khan (PAK), Matthew Hayden (AUS), Makhaya Ntini (RSA).
One-day Player of the Year: Yuvraj Singh (IND), Michael Hussey (AUS), Ricky Ponting (AUS), Shane Bond (NZL), Irfan Pathan (IND), Andrew Flintoff (ENG), Mahela Jayawardene (SRI), Muttiah Muralitharan (SRI), Rahul Dravid (IND), Kevin Pietersen (ENG), Mohammed Yousuf (PAK), Herschelle Gibbs (RSA), Brett Lee (AUS), Shahid Afridi (PAK), Inzamam-ul Haq (PAK), Adam Gilchrist (AUS), Kumar Sangakkara (SRI).
Emerging Player of the Year: Monty Panesar (ENG), Alastair Cook (ENG), Denesh Ramdin (WIS), Malinga Bandara (SRI), Mohammed Asif (PAK), Upul Tharanga (SRI), Ian Bell (ENG), Shahriar Nafees (BAN).
Captain of the Year: Michael Vaughan (ENG), Rahul Dravid (IND), Ricky Ponting (AUS), Mahela Jayawardene (SRI).
Umpire of the Year: Simon Taufel (AUS), Aleem Dar (PAK), Rudi Koertzen (RSA).
Women's Cricketer of the Year: Karen Rolton (AUS), Cathryn Fitzpatrick (AUS), Anjum Chopra (IND), Neetu David (IND), Claire Taylor (ENG), Katherine Brunt (ENG), Emily Drumm (NZL)
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