Sandwiched
between the ICC ODI Super series just concluded in Melbourne and the
Super Series Test between Australia and the World XI starting in Sydney on
Friday, is tonight’s annual ICC player awards.

The major
award up for grabs is the Player of the Year gong that covers the cricket year
exploits up to July 31 this year, which means only the First Test perfomances
at Lords qualify for consideration from the recent Ashes battles.

As today’s UK
Telegraph points out –
while many fans might have thought England all-rounder Andy Flintoff would be a
walk up start; that’s unlikely when taking into account the qualifying year when
he failed to hit one Test century. Unlike South Africa’s Jacques Kallis who registered six tons and Glenn
McGrath who took 68 wickets at only 17, who have certainly staked their
legitimate claims to win the major award.

Tonight’s ICC Award
nominations:

Player of the
Year: A Flintoff (England), A C Gilchrist (Australia), Inzamam-ul-Haq
(Pakistan), J H Kallis (South Africa), G D McGrath
(Australia).

Test Player of
the Year: A C Gilchrist (Australia), Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan), J H Kallis
(South Africa), G D McGrath (Australia), S K Warne
(Australia).

One-Day
International Player of the Year: A Flintoff (England), A C Gilchrist
(Australia), B Lee (Australia), K P Pietersen (England), A Symonds
(Australia).

Emerging
Player of the Year: Aftab Ahmed (Bangladesh), I R Bell (England), K K D Karthik
(India), K P Pietersen (England), A B De Villiers (South
Africa).