Saturday, April 09, 2011

Tamim named Wisden Cricketer of the Year

Cricket bible Wisden has named Tamim Iqbal among the only four cricketers of the year for its 2011 edition which is officially unveiled on Wednesday.

Tamim, the first Bangladeshi to get the honour, has been picked for scoring centuries in both of Bangladesh's Tests against England in 2010.

The 2011 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack chose only four, instead of the usual five, breaking with tradition for the first time since 1926. The tradition dating back to 1889 is the oldest individual honour in cricket.

The revered publication has selected picked Eoin Morgan, Chris Read and Jonathan Trott alongside Tamim this time, because of the spot-fixing scandal surrounding three Pakistan players during their tour of England. 




Tamim and Irishman Morgan are the first players from their countries to make the Wisden list and Read is recognised for his role in leading Nottinghamshire to the LV County Championship title.

Wisden decided to reduce the list after Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt were found guilty of corruption.

The revered publication has ritually recognised the five players who had the greatest impact on the English summer, only breaking with convention to recognise outstanding individuals WG Grace, Plum Warner and Jack Hobbs and during the first and second world wars when competitive cricket was on hiatus.

Morgan was selected for his dominant role in England's World Twenty20 triumph; Chris Read for leading Nottinghamshire to last year's County Championship and Jonathan Trott for scoring 1,325 Test runs for England in 2010.

Aamer has been omitted from the prestigious accolade, British newspapers said.

However, Wisden editor Scyld Berry did not confirm this but said: "If [the player in question] were exonerated, then it would be possible to reconsider the position.

"That's why I didn't pick anyone else instead. But as things stand, we don't feel we can choose him. It's all very sad," he said in a column in London's Daily Telegraph.

Aamer, Asif, and Butt are all serving bans for their part in spot-fixing during the fourth Test at Lord's between England and Pakistan in August 2010.

The International Cricket Council charged bowlers right-arm fast bowler Asif and left-arm pacer Amir with bowling deliberate no-balls and captain Salman Butt with being party to events.

Asif is currently serving a seven-year ban, with two suspended, Amir a straight five years and Butt 10 years, with half suspended after being found guilty by an independent tribunal.

All three men have denied wrongdoing and have filed appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The trio have also been committed for trial at Southwark Crown Court on conspiracy charges.

England's Alastair Cook missed out on selection as his Ashes heroics fell outside of Wisden's parameters, but he has been honoured by appearing on the cover of the almanack, pictured celebrating his century in the Sydney Test. 








Source: bdnews24
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