Cricket's Oscars kicks off, 4 Indians in race

The sixth LG ICC Awards 2009 is taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. India skipper MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh have nominations in three different categories.

New Zealand has won the ICC Spirit Of Cricket Award '09 while Australia's Peter Siddle has become a proud recipient of ICC Emerging Player of the Year Award '09.

Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan has won the the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year Award. His 96 not out off 57 balls against the West Indies in the semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 at The Oval has fetched him the title.

William Porterfield has won Associate & Affiliate Player of the Year '09 while Pakistan's Aleem Dar won the ICC Umpire of The Year Award.

Based on the period between August 13, 2008 and August, 24, 2009, the LG ICC Awards 2009 presented in association with FICA take into account performances by players and officials.

That period includes such high-profile events as the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in England, the ICC Women's World Cup 2009 in Australia and the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009 in South Africa, as well as several bilateral Test and ODI series.

The nominations were made by a five-member selection panel headed by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd.

The panel also included former cricketers Anil Kumble of India, Mudassar Nazar of Pakistan, Bob Taylor of England and New Zealand's Stephen Fleming.

The previous LG ICC Awards ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007) and Dubai (2008).

ICC Awards 2009 short-lists of nominees (in alphabetical order)

Individual Awards

Cricketer of the Year

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)
Gautam Gambhir (Ind)
Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
Andrew Strauss (Eng)

Test Player of the Year

Gautam Gambhir (Ind)
Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
Thilan Samaraweera (SL)
Andrew Strauss (Eng)

ODI Player of the Year

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)
Virender Sehwag (Ind)
Yuvraj Singh (Ind)

Emerging Player

Ben Hilfenhaus (Aus)
Graham Onions (Eng)
Jesse Ryder (NZ)
Peter Siddle (Aus)

Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year

Rizwan Cheema (Can)
Ryan ten Doeschate (Ned)
William Porterfield (Ire)
Edgar Schiferli (Ned)

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year

# Shahid Afridi (Pak) for scoring 51 off 34 balls and taking 2-16 against South Africa during the ICC WT20 semi-final in Nottingham on 18 June
# Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) for scoring 96 not out off 57 balls against the West Indies in the semi-final of the ICC WT20 at The Oval on 19 June
# Chris Gayle (WI) for hitting 88 off 50 balls against Australia during the ICC WT20 at The Oval on 6 June
# Umar Gul (Pak) for taking 5-6 against New Zealand during the ICC WT20 at The Oval on 13 June

Women's Cricketer of the Year

Charlotte Edwards (Eng)
Shelley Nitschke (Aus)
Claire Taylor (Eng)

Umpire of the Year

Aleem Dar
Tony Hill
Asad Rauf
Simon Taufel

Spirit of Cricket

Australia
England
New Zealand