Shaun Tait emerges to win ICC Award

Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait was tonight named as Emerging Player of the Year at the ICC Awards in Johannesburg. The fast bowler claimed the prize after impressing the 56-strong ICC Voting Academy.

The 24-year-old from Adelaide has gone a long way to cementing his place in the national team over the past year with some stellar performances with the ball.

During the voting period of 9 August 2006 to 8 August 2007, Tait played 15 ODIs taking 28 wickets at an average of 24.46. His strike-rate of a wicket every 26.4 balls is right up there with the very best.

ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed said: "All top sides know it is vitally important to make sure the next generation of player is ready to take over when their time comes and Australia seems to have a host of talented, young fast bowlers prepared to take up the mantle of the likes of Glenn McGrath.

"Shaun's impact in a relatively short space of time has been very impressive and we believe he is a worthy winner of this award."

Tait is the fourth recipient of the Emerging Player of the Year award following on from England duo Ian Bell last year and Kevin Pietersen in 2005, and India's Irfan Pathan in 2004.

Presenting this year's award was former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop.

The Emerging Player of the Year was one of 11 individual and team honours handed out during the ICC Awards, presented in association with FICA (the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations).

Voting for the Emerging Player of the Year was completed by the 56-member ICC Awards voting Academy who cast a 3-2-1 vote (three votes being the greater value) from the list of nominees, with the votes tallied to produce a winner.

The voting Academy included the 10 ICC Full Member captains, the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Referees, the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and several other legends of the game and respected members of the media.

To win the Emerging Player of the Year Tait saw off the challenge of New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan.

To qualify for that award a player has to be under the age of 26 and have played fewer than five Tests and/or 10 ODIs at the start of the voting period, 9 August 2006.

The trophy, produced by Swarovski, features a crystal cricket ball studded with over 4200 Swarovski crystal chantons, cusped in a hand which extends from an aluminium base.

The hand represents the theme of "breaking through" in pursuit of excellence. The trophy weighs 1.2kg, is 30cm high and 11cm in width.