Anrich Nortje And Shabnim Ismail Claim Top Honors At CSA Awards
Anrich Nortje and Shabnim Ismail emerged as the standout players once again as they claimed the prestigious SA Men’s and Women’s Cricketer of the Year awards at the grand ceremony held in Midrand on Friday evening.
Nortje and Ismail, who had previously secured the same accolades in 2021, showcased their exceptional skills, making them an ideal new-ball pairing in an alternate cricket universe.
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This year’s event marked the first in-person meeting of the Cricket SA awards since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
The recognition was particularly difficult to attain for Ismail, who recently bid farewell to an illustrious international career with the Proteas Women’s team.
Her previous triumph in the women’s premier category came in 2015, placing her in esteemed company alongside Marizanne Kapp (2013-14) and former captain Dane van Niekerk (2016-18-19) as multiple winners in the professional era.
Nortje, who received nominations in all men’s categories, was rewarded for his consistent pace and precision across all formats.
Among the other deserving winners was Nonkululeko Mlaba, the talented 23-year-old left-arm spinner, who clinched the Women’s T20 International Player of the Year award and the Women’s Players’ Player of the Year award.
Laura Wolvaardt secured the Women’s One-Day International Player of the Year title, while Sinalo Jafta was rightfully recognized as the Fans’ Player of the Year, reflecting the growing popularity of women’s cricket.
In the men’s category, Kagiso Rabada was crowned Test Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. His stunning leg cutter to dismiss Kraigg Brathwaite in the Test against the West Indies at SuperSport Park in March was voted as the Best Delivery.
Temba Bavuma, the Proteas ODI captain, was honored with the Men’s ODI Player of the Year award, while Reeza Hendricks clinched the Men’s T20 International Player of the Year title.
Gerald Coetzee, an emerging fast bowler, was recognized as the International Men’s Newcomer of the Year, and David Miller earned the respect of his peers by being voted as the Men’s Players’ Player of the Year.
In the domestic circuit, Ryan Rickelton of the Lions was named the Division 1 One-Day Cup Player of the Season and Domestic Players’ Player of the Season.
Beyers Swanepoel, a bowling all-rounder for the Warriors, was honored with the Division 1 4-Day Domestic Series Player of the Season and the SACA Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Season awards. His teammate, Jordan Hermann, was named Domestic Newcomer of the Season.
Mandla Mashimbyi (Titans) and Mark Charlton (Northern Cape Heat) received the Division 1 and Division 2 Coach of the Year awards in their respective categories.
Mondli Khumalo, the deserving recipient of the Makhaya Ntini Power of Cricket Award, demonstrated remarkable resilience in overcoming a brutal assault in the United Kingdom last year.
In the operations category, Adrian Holdstock claimed the match officials’ double, being named CSA Umpire of the Year and CSA Umpires’ Umpire of the Year.
Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki expressed his congratulations to all the winners, acknowledging the strong performances and outstanding candidates throughout the season.
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Moseki also thanked everyone at Cricket South Africa for their efforts in making the awards ceremony possible, emphasizing the joy of having everyone together in the same room after the challenging times caused by the pandemic.
AWARD WINNERS
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS: NATIONAL
SA Women’s Player of the Year: Shabnim Ismail
Women’s T20 International Player of the Year: Nonkululeko Mlaba
Women’s One-Day International Player of the Year: Laura Wolvaardt
Women’s Players’ Player of the Year: Nonkululeko Mlaba
SA Men’s Player of the Year: Anrich Nortje
Test Player of the Year: Kagiso Rabada
One-Day International Player of the Year: Temba Bavuma
T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Reeza Hendricks
International Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Gerald Coetzee
SA Men Players’ Player of the Year: David Miller
SA Fans’ Player of the Year: Sinalo Jafta
Best Delivery Fuelled by KFC: Kagiso Rabada
