Devendra Bishoo of West Indies Wins the ICC Emerging Player of the Year Award

West Indies may not have had too much to cheer about their cricket. But the LG ICC Awards 2011 brought some cheer in that Devendra Bishoo beat fellow compatriot, Darren Bravo, amongst others to win the ICC Emerging Player of the Year Award at the awards ceremony in London.

Although Bravo was confident of winning the award, it was Bishoo who walked away with the first award of the night. Up-and-coming West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo has been named as the Emerging Player of the Year 2011 at the LG ICC Awards in London. The 25-year-old, who played in five Test matches in the voting period and took 21 wickets with an average of 35.42, has made an impact within the West Indies side with his attacking approach that yields considerable turn and bounce. He also played in 11 ODIs, bagging 19 wickets at an average of 21.57.

Bishoo was the top choice of the 25-person voting academy, coming in ahead of team-mate Darren Bravo, and Pakistan pair of Wahab Riaz and Azhar Ali.

Another player who did not make it to the awards ceremony, Bishoo said:

First of all I’d like to congratulate all the nominees for the ICC Emerging Player of the Year.

I’d like to thank the ICC for giving me this award and I’m delighted to receive it. I’d like to thank my mother, my manager and all the players who have supported me throughout my career.

I’m happy where I am and I am going to keep on working hard for the West Indies and continue to improve and keep playing good cricket.

The Emerging Player of the Year Award was one of the individual prizes given at this year’s LG ICC Awards. Players eligible for this award must be under 26 years of age at the start of the voting period (11 August 2010) and have played no more than five Test matches and/or 10 ODIs before the start of the voting period.

Bishoo joins an illustrious past list of winners that includes include Irfan Pathan (2004), Kevin Pietersen (2005), Ian Bell (2006), Shaun Tait (2007), Ajantha Mendis (2008), Peter Siddle (2009) and Steven Finn (2010).

For West Indies cricket that seems to be in constant turmoil, it is a good vindication of talent, not to mention a timely incentive for budding young cricketers such as Bishoo to remain inspired in their pursuit of representing West Indies cricket. particularly when it seems that some of their more senior peers are locked in chronic battle with the West Indies cricket board. West Indies certainly need the younger members to put up their hands and show enterprise. Bishoo has showed promise on India's recent tour of the West Indies and it would seem with regular exposure and learning on the job, Bishoo is certainly one to look out for for the cricket passionate folk of the Caribbean islands.

Bishoo is certainly headed in the right direction and the awards should give him that boost to be part of the few winners on the night to have an award to show for their promising beginnings in the game.