Flintoff short-listed for top ICC award

Andrew Flintoff is short-listed for the ICC Player of the Year award

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been short-listed for the ICC Player of the Year award, with England team-mates Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell also nominated for prizes.

Ashes hero Flintoff is one of five players in contention for the Player of the Year award and is also nominated as ICC ODI Player of the Year, an award he won in 2004.

The news comes in the same week as the Lancashire star was named NatWest Professional Cricketers' Association Player of the Year at the Royal Albert Hall.

Flintoff picks up his PCA award on Monday night © Getty Images

Flintoff is up against Jacques Kallis, Glenn McGrath, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Adam Gilchrist for the main prize, with the quartet also short-listed for the Test Player of the Year awards.

Gilchrist, who has also made the ODI shortlist, is the only player to be nominated in three categories.

Nine players in total have been short-listed for the three most prestigious individual awards, with Pietersen up against Flintoff in the running for the ODI Player award.

Pietersen also makes the five-man short-list for the Emerging Player of the Year along with his England team-mate Bell, Aftab Ahmed (Bangladesh), Dinesh Karthik (India) and AB de Villiers (South Africa).

The short-lists were announced after the votes were submitted by members of the voting Academy. The 50 Academy members were asked to vote for players nominated by a selection panel chaired by Sunil Gavaskar.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said that the voting process was building towards an exciting event in Sydney on October 11.

Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen are nominated for awards © Getty Images

“The players that have made it through to the short-lists are all exciting talents who performed exceptionally during the year under review,” said Speed.

“The second annual ICC Awards night promises to be a fantastic evening with some very interesting decisions to be announced.”

Gavaskar said that making the short-lists was an achievement in itself.

He commented: “No matter who wins these trophies on October 11, all of those who have made the short-lists should be immensely proud that their achievements have been recognised by such an esteemed Academy that includes the current Test-playing captains, the members of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and Referees and highly esteemed legends of the game.”

The five-man ICC Awards Selection Panel comprises Sunil Gavaskar (chairman), David Gower, Sir Richard Hadlee, Rod Marsh and Courtney Walsh.

Selection was based on the players’ performances over the course of the 12-month judging period (August 1 2004 to July 31 2005).

The nominees are as follows:

Emerging Player of the Year

• Aftab Ahmed (Bangladesh)
• IR Bell (England)
• KKD Karthik (India)
• KP Pietersen (England)
• AB De Villiers (South Africa)

One-Day International Player of the Year

• A Flintoff (England)
• AC Gilchrist (Australia)
• B Lee (Australia)
• KP Pietersen (England)
• A Symonds (Australia)

Test Player of the Year

• AC Gilchrist (Australia)
• Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
• JH Kallis (South Africa)
• GD McGrath (Australia)
• SK Warne (Australia)

Player of the Year

• A Flintoff (England)
• AC Gilchrist (Australia)
• Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
• JH Kallis (South Africa)
• GD McGrath (Australia)