ICC Awards of The Decade announced - Check voting rules, nominations

The ICC Awards of The Decade will recognise the best players across cricket over the past 10 years, and the for the first time the fans’ voice will be heard in selecting the winners across categories including the Sir Garfield Sobers and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Awards, which celebrate the best overall player from the men’s and women’s game over the past decade. The fan vote will make up 10% of the voting, while votes from an expert panel will make up the remaining 90%.

Fans will provide 100% of the vote for the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade, from a list of the past winners since 2011.

The top prize for voters is a once in a lifetime experience at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in India, including flights, accommodation, and pitch-side access to a Super 12s match. Other prizes include 45 pairs of match tickets, 15 Oppo Reno 4pro mobile phones and 50 $50 vouchers redeemable at the official T20 World Cup merchandise shop at the tournament.

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.

Award winners will be announced next month and will culminate in a special ICC Awards of the Decade digital show, to be broadcast on the ICC digital channels and will take into account the fans’ votes as well as those by a global panel of journalists and broadcasters.

The complete list of nominees for the ICC Awards of the Decade are as follows:

Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade– The best overall performer in men’s international cricket (Tests, ODIs and T20Is) during the performance period:

• R Ashwin (India)
• Virat Kohli (India)
• Joe Root (England)
• Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
• Steve Smith (Australia)
• AB de Villiers (South Africa)
• Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade– The best overall performer in women’s international cricket (Tests, ODIs and T20Is) during the performance period:

• Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
• Meg Lanning (Australia)
• Ellyse Perry (Australia)
• Mithali Raj (India)
• Sarah Taylor (England)
• Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)

ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Decade– The best overall performer in men’s Test cricket during the performance period:

• James Anderson (England)
• Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)
• Virat Kohli (India)
• Joe Root (England)
• Yasir Shah (Pakistan)
• Steve Smith (Australia)
• Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade– The best overall performer in men’s ODI cricket during the performance period:

• MS Dhoni (India)
• Virat Kohli (India)
• Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
• Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
• Rohit Sharma (India)
• Mitchell Starc (Australia)
• AB de Villiers (South Africa)

ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade– The best overall performer in women’s ODI cricket during the performance period:

• Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
• Jhulan Goswami (India)
• Meg Lanning (Australia)
• Ellyse Perry (Australia)
• Mithali Raj (India)
• Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)

ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade– The best overall performer in men’s T20I cricket during the performance period:

• Aaron Finch (Australia)
• Chris Gayle (West Indies)
• Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
• Virat Kohli (India)
• Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
• Rohit Sharma (India)
• Imran Tahir (South Africa)

ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade– The best overall performer in women’s T20I cricket during the performance period:

• Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
• Deandra Dottin (West Indies)
• Alyssa Healy (Australia)
• Meg Lanning (Australia)
• Ellyse Perry (Australia)
• Anya Shrubsole (England)

ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade– The best overall performer in men’s Associate cricket during the performance period:

• Richie Berrington (Scotland)
• Peter Borren (Netherlands)
• Kyle Coetzer (Scotland)
• Paras Khadka (Nepal)
• Calum MacLeod (Scotland)
• Assad Vala (PNG)

ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade– The best overall performer in women’s Associate cricket during the performance period:

• Kathryn Bryce (Scotland)
• Sarah Bryce (Scotland)
• Natthakan Chantham (Thailand)
• Sterre Kalis (Netherlands)
• Chanida Sutthiruang (Thailand)
• Sornnorin Tippoch (Thailand)

ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade– An action, moment, gesture, or decision on the field of play in international cricket during the performance period which best reflects the Spirit of Cricket:

• 2011 Winner – MS Dhoni (India)
• 2012 Winner – Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)
• 2013 Winner – Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)
• 2014 Winner – Katherine Brunt (England)
• 2015 Winner – Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
• 2016 Winner – Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
• 2017 Winner – Anya Shrubsole (England)
• 2018 Winner – Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
• 2019 Winner – Virat Kohli (India)

To further enhance engagement,Teams of the Decade (TOTD)will be compiled by the Voting Academy of journalists and broadcasters for the following five formats:

• ICC Men’s Test TOTD
• ICC Men’s ODI TOTD
• ICC Women’s ODI TOTD
• ICC Men’s T20I TOTD
• ICC Women’s T20I TOTD

Members of the Awards Nominations Committee conceded that it was tough shortlisting the candidates for the awards.

Former West Indies player and commentator Ian Bishop: “It is extremely challenging to shortlist any group of excellent players over an extended period. In making these choices we have tried to put context to performances, even as the different formats have evolved in pace and style in a 10-year period.

“Some of yourfavourite names may have missed out, but not gone without recognition. We hope that this is seen as an opportunity to discuss, celebrate and rejoice in the many great players who have entertained us on the field in the last decade.”

Indian sports journalist Sharda Ugra: “Ashortlist of players for an award as monumental as representing ‘a whole decade’ is both a complete delight and an utter nightmare. First, it brings back all the great memories the game gave us in that massive slice of time. That is smiles-on-faces time.

“The job of then pruning this from a vast cast of great characters down to a few names to work with requires much teeth-gritting. Sentimental favourites must be put through the sieve of significance of achievement, performance across ten years, quality of opposition and on we go, slicing and dicing.

“At the end of it, all you can do is be grateful to the game for giving you so much to love.”