Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steven Smith and Joe Root are among seven players who have been nominated for the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for the ICC male cricketer for the decade across formats. India offspinner R Ashwin is the only bowler in this list that also includes Kumar Sangakkara and AB de Villiers, who have both retired from international cricket.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, the Australian pair of Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry, England’s Sarah Taylor, India’s Mithali Raj, and West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor have been nominated for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award that recognises the best performer in women’s cricket across formats over the last decade.
Kohli is the only men’s player who has been nominated for all major awards, including the Test cricketer of the decade, the ODI cricketer of the decade and T20I cricketer of the decade. England seamer James Anderson, the retired Sri Lanka left-arm fingerspinner Rangana Herath, Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah, Williamson and Smith are among other contenders for the men’s Test cricketer of the decade award.
Former India and World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni, current India white-ball vice-captain Rohit Sharma and Sri Lanka quick Lasith Malinga are also part of the nominations for the ODI cricketer of the decade.
Afghanistan’s ace spinner Rashid Khan, West Indies opener Chris Gayle, and South Africa legspinner Imran Tahir are among the contenders for the T20I men’s player of the decade honour. Sharma and Malinga feature in this list as well.
Nepal’s Paras Khadka, Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer and Netherlands’ Peter Borren are among six players who have been shortlisted for the ICC men’s Associate cricketer of the decade award.
Bates, Perry, Lanning, Raj and Taylor are also in with a chance to win the women’s ODI cricketer of the decade award.
Players for various awards have been shortlisted based on their performances from January 1 2011 to October 7 2020. For the first time, the fans will have a say in selecting the winners – they will make up 10% of the voting while an expert panel will make up the remaining 90%. “The nominees for each of the categories have been determined by the Awards Nominations Committee according to on-field performances and overall achievements for at least five years during the period,” an ICC release stated.
The voting opens at November 25 and closes on December 16.
Nominees for Sir Garfield Sobers Award: R Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kumar Sangakkara, Steven Smith, AB de Villiers, Kane Williamson
Nominees for Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award: Suzie Bates, Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Mithali Raj, Sarah Taylor, Stafanie Taylor
Nominees for men’s Test cricketer of the decade award: James Anderson, Rangana Herath, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Yasir Shah, Steven Smith, Kane Williamson
Nominees for men’s ODI cricketer of the decade award: MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Lasith Malinga, Kumar Sangakkara, Rohit Sharma, Mitchell Starc, AB de Villiers
Nominees for women’s ODI cricketer of the decade: Suzie Bates, Jhulan Goswami, Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Mithali Raj, Stafanie Taylor
Nominees for men’s T20I cricketer of the decade: Aaron Finch, Chris Gayle, Rashid Khan, Virat Kohli, Lasith Malinga, Rohit Sharma, Imran Tahir
Nominees for women’s T20I cricketer of the decade: Sophie Devine, Deandra Dottin, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Anya Shrubsole (ESPNCricinfo)
