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MUMBAI: Australia bowler Mitchell Johnson was tonight named Cricketer of the Year at the prestigious LG ICC Awards, held at a glittering ceremony in Johannesburg.
Johnson was also named in the ICC World Test Team of the Year, as chosen by a panel of some of the greats of the game. The 27-year-old fast bowler has had a magnificent year with the ball and has become one the world?s most dangerous and determined players.
Johnson was joined on the winners? list by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who took the ODI Player of the Year award for the second year in a row, while his team-mate Gautam Gambhir was named Test Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, England?s Claire Taylor followed in the footsteps of her captain Charlotte Edwards to become the Women?s Player of the Year and Ireland skipper William Porterfield left with the Associate Player of the Year gong, an award recognising the contribution that the teams below Full Member status are making to the world of cricket.
In total there were eight individual awards handed out, as well as a Spirit of Cricket Award and the two ICC Teams of the Year ? for Tests and ODIs.
Aleem Dar of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires won the Umpire of the Year award for the first time, while New Zealand took the Spirit of Cricket Award as it did in 2004.
The Twenty20 International Performance of the Year was won by Sri Lanka?s Tillakaratne Dilshan who became the second-ever recipient of the honour. Dilshan took the trophy following his impressive 96 not out off 57 balls against the West Indies during the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in England.
ICC President David Morgan said: ?This past year of cricket has been another exciting one for players and supporters around the world in a time that included the ICC Women?s World Cup, the ICC Men?s and Women?s World Twenty20 and plenty of competitive Test and ODI cricket. These players have contributed hugely to our enjoyment and this night is all about recognising that excellence. This is the sixth annual LG ICC Awards night and each year it gains in prestige and importance.?
The full list of winners is:
Cricketer of the Year Award ? Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
Test Player of the Year Award ? Gautam Gambhir (Ind)
ODI Player of the Year ? Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)
Women‘s Cricketer of the Year ? Claire Taylor (Eng)
Emerging Player of the Year ? Peter Siddle (Aus)
Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year ? William Porterfield (Ire)
Twenty20 International Performance of the Year ? Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL)
Spirit of Cricket Award ? New Zealand
Umpire of the Year Award ? Aleem Dar
Test Team of the Year is as follows (in batting order):
Gautam Gambhir (Ind)
Andrew Strauss (Eng)
AB de Villiers (SA)
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
Thilan Samaraweera (SL)
Michael Clarke (Aus)
MS Dhoni (Ind, WK and captain)
Shakib Al Hasan (Ban)
Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Dale Steyn (SA)
12th man: Harbhajan Singh (Ind)
ODI Team of the Year is as follows (in batting order):
Virender Sehwag (Ind)
Chris Gayle (WI)
Kevin Pietersen (Eng)
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL)
Yuvraj Singh (Ind)
Martin Guptill (NZ)
MS Dhoni (Ind, WK and captain)
Andrew Flintoff (Eng)
Nuwan Kulasekara (SL)
Ajantha Mendis (SL)
Umar Gul (Pak)
12th man: Thilan Thushara (SL)
