Muralitharan is Ceat Cricketer
of the Year
Sri Lanka's off-spin wizard Muthiah Muralitharan has become the first cricketer to bag the Ceat International Cricketer of the year award for the second successive year.
With superlative performances against India, the West Indies and Zimbabwe, Muralitharan captured 95 wickets in 11 Tests in 2001-02 to aggregate 149 points, a whopping 49 points more than second-placed Jacques Kallis of South Africa, a statement on the 2001-02 awards from Ceat said on Wednesday.
Muralitharan, with 144 bowling points, was also adjudged the Ceat bowler of the year while Sachin Tendulkar, with 85 points, won the Ceat batsman of the year award.
Tendulkar featured in the top five for the sixth straight year, making him the most consistent player since the awards were instituted in 1995-96. He scored 1149 runs in 11 Tests, and 890 runs in 17 One Day Internationals in the cricketing year.
Australian Ricky Ponting, with nine fielding points, was adjudged the Ceat international fielder while Adam Gilchrist, with 22 points, bagged the award for best wicketkeeper.
Australia, with 112 points, won the Ceat international team of the year award. It was a close contest, as Australia had only four more points than Sri Lanka. Though both the teams won nine Test matches in 2001-02, Australia bagged the award as six of their victories came away from home while Sri Lanka played only one Test abroad, which they won.
India, with 84 points, placed fourth in the team ratings.
The Ceat Cricket Ratings take into account all international cricket matches played between May 1 and April 30.
Cricketing greats Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Chappel and Clive Lloyd are the adjudicators.
The top ten list for the international cricketer of the year award -- till April 30:
1. Muthiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) 149 points
2. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 100
3. Shane Warne (Australia) 94
4. Adam Gilchrist (Australia) 93
5. Sachin Tendulkar (India) 87
6. Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa) 81
7. Yousuf Youhana (Pakistan) 77
8. Ricky Ponting (Australia) 74
9. Glenn McGrath (Australia) 70
10. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) and Nathan Astle (New Zealand) both with 67 points each.
Mail Cricket Editor
