Strauss and Onions in frame for top award

Published on Wednesday 2 September 2009 22:29

ASHES-winning captain Andrew Strauss and England team-mate Graham Onions are among 14 players nominated for the ICC cricketer of the year award.

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who became the Aussies' spearhead last summer before losing his way for a time during the recent Ashes campaign, is also among the contenders for the accolade, which takes in the period from 13 August, 2008 to 24 August this year.

Also nominated are West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera, South Africa pair Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers, India trio Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh, New Zealander Daniel Vettori and Saqib Al Hasan from Bangladesh.

With the major cricketing nations of the world to assemble in South Africa later this month for the Champions Trophy, the long list of contenders will be revised to shortlists ahead of the awards ceremony in Johannesburg on 1 October.

"The LG ICC Awards are an opportunity for the ICC and FICA (Federation of International Cricketers' Associations] to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable performances of the world's top players," said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

"It is also a chance for followers of our great sport to reflect on some of the great cricketing feats they have witnessed over the past year.

"This will be the sixth time the awards have been handed out and yet again there are so many great performances to recall. Selecting the winners will no doubt test our selectors and voting academy."

Meanwhile, Somerset captain Justin Langer has been reprimanded by the England and Wales Cricket Board after showing dissent in last week's County Championship clash with Hampshire.

Former Australia opener Langer, who famously provided Ricky Ponting's Ashes squad with a dossier on the England side in which he described them as "flat and lazy", was reported after reacting to an lbw decision given against him.

Umpires Mark Benson and Nick Cook reported the incident and it has been upheld by the ECB, whose reprimand will remain on his record for two years.

NOMINEES for ICC cricketer of the year:

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WInd)

Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)

Gautam Gambhir (Ind)

Saqib Al Hasan (Ban)

Mitchell Johnson (Aus)

Graham Onions (Eng)

Thilan Samaraweera (Sri)

Kumar Sangakkara (Sri)

Harbhajan Singh (Ind)

Graeme Smith (Rsa)

Andrew Strauss (Eng)

Daniel Vettori (Nzl)

AB de Villiers (Rsa)