Gilchrist bags FICA player of the year award

Adam Gilchrist picked up the FICA International Cricketer of the Year award on Wednesday, marking the third time in it's five-year history that the prize has been won by an Australian.

The Federation of International Cricketers' Associations is the official body representing all players around the world and Gilchrist's award comes as recognition of the incredible form the wicketkeeper-batsman has displayed in 2002.

Gilchrist has scored 1,166 runs in just 19 innings this year, registering four centuries and four fifties -- including a highest score of 204 not out against South Africa in Johannesburg.

In addition to his batting, he took 52 catches and completed five stumpings.

Currently ranked the number one batsman in the world by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Gilchrist's average of exactly 60.00 is the highest of any current player.

The left-hander came top of a list of six nominees, who were all bidding to win the award -- voted for by fellow players -- for the first time in their careers.

The other nominees were: Sri Lankan pair Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan, South Africa's Jacques Kallis, India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Matthew Hayden.

Steve Waugh (1998) and Glenn McGrath (2000) are the other Australians to have picked up the award, with West Indian batsman Brian Lara (1999) and Zimbabwe's Andy Flower (2001) making up the list of previous winners.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara was named the Young Player of the Year and the Australian Test side won the International Team of the Year award.

Mail Cricket Editor