The LG ICC Awards 2011 have created a tremendous buzz about them even though the event and glittering night is scheduled for September in London. However, picking the shortlist for the LG ICC Awards 2011 nominees was not easy as Clive Lloyd attests.
On this week’s LG ICC Awards 2011 special ICC Cricket World Radio Show, Chairman of the LG ICC Awards Selection Panel and Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd admits choosing the ICC Test Team of the Year 2011 was not an easy task.
It was a difficult task this year to choose the teams of the year and also our long-lists as we had a lot of exciting cricket to look at in the observation period. Some excellent performances came from all the teams, we looked at averages and how the teams performed as a unit and I think our panel knowledge helped us to come up with the right team this year for the ICC Test Team of the Year.
Because of so many performances this year, someone will inevitably miss out but if you look at our team I think we’ve got a good balanced side, really truly I think we came out with the right team” says Lloyd who chaired the panel of experts alongside former South Africa spin bowler Paul Adams, former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas, former New Zealand bowler-turned-commentator Danny Morrison and former England batsman Mike Gatting. Based on the period between 11 August 2010 and 3 August 2011, the LG ICC Awards 2011 – presented in association with FICA – take into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.
He adds:
I don’t think anyone should be slighted for not being on the short-lists. It was an extremely close run contest this year in all the categories and everyone performed well over the period. Ultimately, you can only have four players in each short-list and the independent voting academy chose the short-lists.
The LG ICC Awards are equal to the Oscars for the cricketers and naturally there is an intense competition based on performances over the past year that have earned the cricketers a nomination. The ICC narrowed its shortlist from its initially announced list of cricketers who stood a chance to go one step further towards nomination for the prestigious awards or suffer a cut in light of some performances that out beat them. On the night though, there is little the cricketers can do by competition other than bank on their performances over the past year to get them across the line and their hands on the trophy.
The LG ICC Awards 2011 provide another in a consecutive series of opportunities for cricketers to be acknowledged amongst their peers with the highest honour bequeathed on them by the ICC, the sport’s premier governing body and therefore, giving further credence to the recognition. Although every performance is dear to the cricketers, they certainly would not mind a trophy to remember their most memorable moments in the game by.
