27 August 2011
Kashtro 27 AUG: Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan figure in the International Cricket Council Test Team of the Year chosen by a panel headed by Clive Lloyd today. Four countries are represented in the 12-player line-up and Tendulkar made the side for the third year in a row. Dale Steyn is in the team for the fourth successive year. Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Graeme Swann and James Anderson make it for the second consecutive year. Sangakkara captains the team. “The selection was a difficult process with so many outstanding performances available to look back on. The selectors didn't rely only on statistics only but took into account all other factors like the opposition, pitch conditions, match situations. But when you have only 12 places to fill from a big group of world-class players, there will always be a few who will miss out," Lloyd said. Lloyd was joined on the panel by Paul Adams, Zaheer Abbas, Danny Morrison and Mike Gatting. The team: Alastair Cook (England), Hashim Amla (South Africa), Jonathan Trott (England), Sachin Tendulkar (India), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka - wicketkeeper-captain), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Stuart Broad (England), Graeme Swann (England), Dale Steyn (South Africa), James Anderson (England), Zaheer Khan (India - 12th man).
ICC awards
Still smarting from their humiliating Test series loss to England, Indian cricketers had something to cheer about as Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir were today put on the final short-lists for the ICC Cricketer-of-the- Year and ODI Player-of-the-Year awards.
Tendulkar was named along with Amla, Cook and Jonathan Trott for the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for the ICC Cricketer of the Year. Tendulkar won it last year. Gambhir was included in the ODI-specific list along with Amla, Sangakkara and Shane Watson. The awards are to be presented in London on 12 September. England, fittingly, had three players from the team for the Test Player-of-the-Year award with Anderson, Cook and Jonathan Trott competing against Kallis.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to recall Ian Bell after the England batsman had been ruled run out by the umpire during the second Test at Trent Bridge earned him a place on the list for the ICC Spirit-of-Cricket award. Dhoni will face competition from Kallis, who was named for walking twice during the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Dhoni was also short-listed for the People's Choice Award along with Amla, Chris Gayle, Sangakkara and Trott.
