Atapattu best one-day captain :
 

Kallis and Flintoff share Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy

by Clifford Landers reporting from Australia, SYDNEY (Tuesday)

All-rounder South African Jacque Kallis shared the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy with England's Andrew Flintoff and won the Best Test Player of the Year at the Hyundai ICC Awards ceremony held in association with FICA in the Ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney today.

England batsman Kevin Pieterson also won the respective Best One-Day International Player of the Year and Emerging Player of the Year.

Kallis and Flintoff tied with 86 votes a piece while Glenn McGrath (39), Adam Gilchrist (29) and Ricky Ponting (19) trailed.

While Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting won the Best Test Captain of the Year award, Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu was adjudged the Best One-Day International Captain and received his award from former South African captain Barry Richards. He said that his non selection for the World XI one-day team was not of concern "Since a time factor was involved and come into consideration.

The performance did not count when the World XI was named and therefore it does not bother me. I am neither a whiner nor complainer since I take things as it comes."

"I will also take the team given any time because they are the best among the best", he said with regard to the Best ODI World XI named.

Another notable factor for Sri Lanka was that left-arm medium-pacer Chaminda Vaas was named in the World XI Test team of the Year.

Rising star Pieterson was the second England player to win the Best Player award after Flintoff did it last year. Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar presented the award after he received 91 votes followed by Flintoff (52 votes) and Andrew Symonds (Australia-26 votes).

England's 25-year-old Kevin Pieterson received the Emerging Player of the Year award from former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis with 138 votes followed by A.B de Villiers (South Africa-77 votes) and Ian Bell (England-18 votes). Flintoff averaged 87.33 with three hundreds off the 21 ODIS and scored two half-centuries in the solitary Test he had played.

England won the Spirit of Cricket title with Flintoff accepting the award on behalf of absent skipper Michael Vaughan from ICC President Ehsan Mani.

Aussie umpire Simon Taufel was adjudged the Umpire of the Year for the second consecutive year with 34 votes while Pakistani Aleem Dar (18 votes) and South African Rudi Koertzen (15 votes) was the second and third best.

Among the 650-odd invitees at cricket's 'Grammy' awards were the 10 captains of the ICC's full member countries, 8 members of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC umpires (Sri Lanka was represented by Asoka de Silva, Peter Manual and Tyronne Wijewardane), 7 seven members of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Referees including Head of the Match Referee Panel Sri Lankan Ranjan Madugalle and a balance of 25 legends of the game and respected members of the media.

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and wife Dilusha was among the few players seen with their respective partners. Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee Chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa, Match Referee Roshan Mahanama and Secretary Sri Lanka Cricketers Association Graeme Labrooy were also present.

Aussie Vice-captain Adam Gilchrist was the only player to receive nominations for all three categories.

Earlier, ICC President Ehsan Mani reflected upon the earthquake devastation and loss of life in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan and revealed during his opening speech that the ICC had decided to donate Australian Dollars 650,000 towards the Relief Fund during its meeting which took place in the morning.

The World Test Team of the Year is: Virender Sewag (India), Graeme Smith (South Africa), Ricky Ponting (Captain, Australia), Jacque Kallis (South Africa), Brian Lara (West Indies), Inzamam Ul-Haq (Pakistan), Andrew Flintoff (England), Adam Glichrist (Wicket-keeper, Australia), Shane Warne (Australia), Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka), Glenn McGrath (Australia) 12th Man: Anil Kumble (India).

World ODI Team of the Year: Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka), Adam Gilchrist (Australia), Rahul Dravid (India), Kevin Pieterson (England), Inzamam Ul-Haq (Pakistan), Andrew Flintoff (England), Andrew Symonds (Australia), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Brett Lee (Australia), Naved ul-Hassan (Pakistan), Glenn McGrath (Australia) 12th Man: Jacques Kallis (South Africa) .