Kallis and Ntini dominate SA award nominations

Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini dominate the nominations in the inaugural Mutual and Federal South Africa Cricket Awards, to be hosted on April 22 by the South African cricket board. The awards will cover players at all levels of the game, including amateur cricket, as well as from the under-13 level onwards.

Kallis has been nominated in five categories, and Ntini, in four - including the main one, the Mutual and Federal SA Cricketer of the Year, where Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Shaun Pollock and Gary Kirsten are the other contenders. This award is separate from the Standard Bank Cricketer of the Year, where Kallis, Pollock and Ntini have been nominated.

Kallis and Ntini have been nominated for the Castle Lager/MTN Test Cricketer of the Year award as well, with Smith being a contender as well.

But the awards will not be limited only to players. A number of the 26 awards will recognise the efforts of administrators, groundsmen, scorers and umpires.