Cricinfo Awards announced: Sehwag and Tendulkar win in Tests and ODIs

[Sachinism]

Virender Sehwag has won the Test batting prize for the second year running in the ESPNcricinfo Awards. Sehwag's audacious 293 against Sri Lanka in Mumbai was chosen over Andrew Strauss's 161 at Lord's in the Ashes and Chris Gayle's unbeaten 165 in Adelaide, by a jury of former cricketers, commentators and Cricinfo's senior editors. The six awards, for performances in the three international cricket formats in 2009, were shared between players from three countries: India, Pakistan and West Indies. Gayle won the Twenty20 batting award for his 50-ball 88 against Australia at The Oval in the World Twenty20. His West Indies team-mate Jerome Taylor's rout of England in Jamaica was voted the Test bowling performance of the year. The ODI batting award went to Sachin Tendulkar for his fighting 175 in a match India lost by three runs to Australia. Shahid Afridi, who was nominated for his Twenty20 bowling as well, won for his career-best 6 for 38 in in Dubai, also against Australia. The award for Twenty20 bowling went to Umar Gul, who was nominated twice in the category, for his five-wicket haul against New Zealand at The Oval, also in the World Twenty20 - a performance of reverse-swing bowling in which, according to former Australia captain and jury member Ian Chappell, "for three overs he looked like he was going to take a wicket every ball and damn near did". Of the winners, Gul, Gayle and Afridi were among eight players to receive two nominations each. Fifty-seven performances from 2009 were shortlisted in the six categories early in January and voted on by the jury. Former England opener Geoff Boycott, one of the members of the jury, which also included Tony Greig, David Lloyd, Ramiz Raja, Daryll Cullinan and Sanjay Manjrekar, said Sehwag's win was hardly surprising. "It is extraordinary to watch him play. I have seen some people score quickly and get big scores," Boycott said. "Part of the time it is brute force, but not so with him. It is just simplicity itself. I watch him bat and it seems as though he sees the shot even before the bowler has bowled. It is quite extraordinary. He doesn't play with great power; it is grace, timing and effortless ease, and his range of shots is quite exciting." In addition to the performance awards, the ESPNcricinfo Awards also comprise the Statsguru Awards, which are based on detailed statistical analyses of the year's performances. Indian players won the top batting awards here as well. Gautam Gambhir was adjudged the Batsman of the Year, based on a score arrived at by adding Test batting average to ODI batting index (batting average multiplied by strike rate). He was also the Test Batsman of the Year. Sehwag was voted the ODI Batsman of the Year. The bowling awards went to Stuart Broad (Bowler of the Year), Mitchell Johnson (Test Bowler) and James Anderson (ODI Bowler). Other Statsguru Awards winners included Shane Watson (Most Consistent Test Batsman), Tillakaratne Dilshan (Most Runs in Test Wins), and Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder (ODI Opening Batting Pair of the Year). Cricinfo readers were invited to vote on the nominees and their picks mirrored the jury's in all but one category: Twenty20 batting, where they picked Tillakaratne Dilshan's unbeaten 96 in the World Twenty20 over Gayle's 88.

[vvvslaxman]

Congradultions to the winners.

[riya]

Congrats the winners.But i just hate the thread title.

[Sachinism]

^ Edit it as you like

[Chandan]

Former England opener Geoff Boycott, one of the members of the jury, which also included Tony Greig, David Lloyd, Ramiz Raja, Daryll Cullinan and Sanjay Manjrekar, said Sehwag's win was hardly surprising. "It is extraordinary to watch him play. I have seen some people score quickly and get big scores," Boycott said. "Part of the time it is brute force, but not so with him. It is just simplicity itself. I watch him bat and it seems as though he sees the shot even before the bowler has bowled. It is quite extraordinary. He doesn't play with great power; it is grace, timing and effortless ease, and his range of shots is quite exciting."

Boycott said this? And what are the other awards, statsguru ones? I didn't quite understand.

[DomainK]

Two of my most favorite batsmen won the awards.:yay:

[lonestarranger]

Thanks for the update

[gaurav92]

WOW, They rock :rock:

[gaurav92]

Two of my most favorite batsmen won the awards.:yay:

++

[king2be98]

The more and more I see stats and awards and all the rest of this stuff the more and more I hate the state of modern cricket. Such flat pitches produce such boring cricket. My father says he's watched cricket for over 40 years and this is the worst state of cricket, the lack of genuine good fast bowlers is so disturbing. Apart from the Gul spell in the T20, which I only remember cause I'm a Pak fan, all of those bowling efforts are very average. Steyn produced the best bowling performance of the last 3/4 years but that was this year. Too too many flat pitches, it's really destroying world fast bowling.

[patriot]

The more and more I see stats and awards and all the rest of this stuff the more and more I hate the state of modern cricket. Such flat pitches produce such boring cricket. My father says he's watched cricket for over 40 years and this is the worst state of cricket, the lack of genuine good fast bowlers is so disturbing. Apart from the Gul spell in the T20, which I only remember cause I'm a Pak fan, all of those bowling efforts are very average. Steyn produced the best bowling performance of the last 3/4 years but that was this year. Too too many flat pitches, it's really destroying world fast bowling.

I think you should tell your father, thank god for Pakistan !!! Inspite such flat pitches and such supposed dominance of batters, Pak batters have dominated news for minnow like collapses and lousy techniques because of which Pakistan seem to lose every match they play ! Imagine the state of Pak batters, should the pitches not be as flat and there be " genuine " good fast bowlers. On a side note I think Pakistani fast bowlers are genuinely good - ( only when the cameras are not there ) . You see they are camera shy. :hatsoff::hatsoff::hatsoff:

[vvvslaxman]

I On a side note I think Pakistani fast bowlers are genuinely good - ( only when the cameras are not there ) . You see they are camera shy. :hatsoff::hatsoff::hatsoff:

:hysterical: Remember Vettori brought it up about how he managed to reverse in 5th or 6th over. One of the reason i never rated Imran. I will never rate him. He was such a blatant ball tamperer.

[dhorakadu420]

nice posts

[CSK Fan]

The more and more I see stats and awards and all the rest of this stuff the more and more I hate the state of modern cricket. Such flat pitches produce such boring cricket. My father says he's watched cricket for over 40 years and this is the worst state of cricket, the lack of genuine good fast bowlers is so disturbing. Apart from the Gul spell in the T20, which I only remember cause I'm a Pak fan, all of those bowling efforts are very average. Steyn produced the best bowling performance of the last 3/4 years but that was this year. Too too many flat pitches, it's really destroying world fast bowling.

I thought good phast bolwers were capable of taking the pitch out of the equation :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: