Gilchrist, Hayden, Tendulkar nominated for awards

BRISBANE - Australians Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden and Indian star Sachin Tendulkar have been nominated by their peers for the international cricketer of the year award.

The trio join Sri Lankans Muttiah Muralitharan and Mahela Jayawardene and South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis as the nominees for the Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA) award to be announced in London on July 10.

But Gilchrist's devastating batting in South Africa earlier this year has been ignored in other award nominations, including the "place in history" and "sheer instinct" prizes.

Gilchrist slammed an unbeaten double century in the first Test in Johannesburg and a whirlwind 138 not out in the second Test in Cape Town to send him to the top of the world rankings.

The award covers the year from June 2001, during which Hayden was the most dominant opening batsmen in international cricket with five centuries.

Past winners of the award, conducted by the Federation of International Cricketers Associations, were Australians Steve Waugh (1998) and Glenn McGrath (2000), West Indian Brian Lara (1999) and Zimbabwe's Andy Flower (2001).

Australia's Test and one-day squads and the Sri Lankan Test team were nominated for the international team of the Year award.

Hayden and his opening partner Justin Langer also feature among the nominees for the place in history award for four double-century stands during six Tests last summer.

Teammate Shane Warne (6-161 from 70 overs during his 100th Test appearance) and New Zealand's Nathan Astle (222 from 168 balls versus England) were also nominated.

The sheer instinct award doesn't include Gilchrist among the nominees but recognises Waugh for his century against England at The Oval, England's Mark Butcher, Pakistan's Waqar Younis and England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

The four nominees for the young cricketer of the year award include Indian batsman Virender Sehwag, English seamer Matthew Hoggard, West Indian batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan and Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara.

Three former cricketers will be named at the dinner for induction in the FICA Hall of Fame that already has 55 players on its roll of honour.