Sangakkara is cricket’s most valuable player

Kumar Sangakkara was presented the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year at the prestigious LG ICC Awards, held at a glittering ceremony in Colombo.

Sangakkara was also named in the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year that were announced last month ahead of this evening’s ceremony, while he also picked up the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award and the LG People’s Choice trophy tonight in Colombo to round off a spectacular evening for the batsman.

Sangakkara was joined on the winners’ list by India’s Virat Kohli, who took the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year while West Indies’ bowler Sunil Narine claimed his first ever ICC award after being named ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year.

Joining Narine on the winners list was fellow West Indian, Stafanie Taylor, who won the first ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award, while England’s Sarah Taylor claimed the inaugural ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award.

Ireland’s George Dockrell was named the Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year for the first time, the award recognises the contribution of the team below Full Member status make in the world of cricket. 

New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori received the ICC Spirit of Cricket award, while Kumar Dharmasena of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires won the David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year for the first time.

In total there were 11 individual awards handed out, as well as the two ICC Teams of the Year – for Tests and ODIs.

The Twenty20 International Performance of the Year was won by Richard Levi for his 117 not out against New Zealand in Hamilton on 19 February 2012.

ICC President, Alan Isaac, said: “I’d like to congratulate all of tonight’s winners who are all highly deserving of their awards.

“It’s been a fantastic evening and I think a special congratulations is needed of course for Kumar Sangakkara who claimed a spectacular three awards this evening, including of course the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year.” 

Sangakkara,  in 14 Tests, he compiled 1,444 runs at an average of 60.16, including five centuries and five half-centuries.

In addition, he played 37 ODIs, hitting 1,457 runs at an average of 42.85, with three centuries and nine half-centuries. In that time he has also proven himself to be the best ODI wicketkeeper in the window under observation with 42 dismissals.   

Sangakkara follows in the footsteps of India’s Rahul Dravid (2004); Andrew Flintoff ( England) and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis (joint winners in 2005); Ricky Ponting of Australia (2006 and 2007), West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul (2008), Mitchell Johnson of Australia (2009), India’s Sachin Tendulkar (2010) and England batsman Jonathan Trott (2011) to take the top award. 

The full list of winners is:

ICC Cricketer of the Year (winning the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) – Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

ICC Test Cricketer of the Year – Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year – Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) 

ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year – Virat Kohli (India)

ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year – Sunil Narine (West Indies)

 ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year – George Dockrell (Ireland)

ICC Twenty20 International Performance of the Year – Richard Levi (South Africa)

ICC T20I Women’s Cricketer of the Year – Sarah Taylor (England)

ICC Spirit of Cricket Award – Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

ICC Umpire of the Year (winning the David Shepherd Trophy) – Kumar Dharmasena

LG People’s Choice – Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) LG ICC Awards 2012 are based on the period between 4 August 2011 and 6 August 2012

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