Sunil Gavaskar to chair five-man selection panel for ICC Awards

Highly respected former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar will chair a five-man Selection Panel that is responsible for guiding the judging process for next month's ICC Awards presented by Hyundai in association with FICA.

Gavaskar joins fellow cricket legends David Gower, Sir Richard Hadlee, Rod Marsh and Courtney Walsh to make up the five-man selection panel for the second annual ICC Awards.

The selection panel has been provided with three tasks ahead of the second ceremony to be held in Sydney on 11 October 2005:

(1) To develop a long-list of players in the four individual award categories for the 50-member voting Academy to cast 3-2-1 votes for each individual award;

(2) To select the ICC Test Team of the Year; and

(3) To select the ICC One-Day International Team of the Year.

ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said the appointment of the panel was a key step in a highly credible selection process to judge the world's best players of the past 12 months.

"For the second year in a row a highly respected quintet of former international cricketers has agreed to take undertake the important responsibility of sitting on the Selection Panel for the ICC Awards," said Mr Speed.

"Sunil Gavaskar served on the panel last year, making him an ideal candidate to lead such an illustrious group of former champions.

"Already the panel has approved a long-list of players for the four individual award categories and they will convene soon to select the Test and ODI Teams of the Year."

Mr Gavaskar said that he was delighted to be chairing the esteemed panel.

"I attended the ICC Awards in London last year and it was clear to see from the reactions of the players how much it meant to them to be part of such a prestigious event," he said.

"It is a major achievement for any player to be recognised on the world stage so I know all of the selectors will address their task with the utmost diligence and responsibility."

Former Australian wicket-keeper Rod Marsh - who was recently appointed Director of Coaching at the ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai Sports City - has carved a reputation for having a keen eye for talent after successful stints at the national academies in Australia and England.

Mr Marsh said that the balance of the Selection Panel would provide perfect foundations for the task of selecting the ICC Teams of the Year.

"Sunil was the first Test batsman to score 10,000 runs, David was England's leading run scorer in his day and Sir Richard and Courtney have both held the world record for Test wickets so there should be enough experience amongst our ranks to enable us to undertake the task," said Marsh who also held the world record for Test match dismissals when he retired in 1984.

The ICC Awards selection panel has approved a long list that will now be voted on by a 50 person Academy comprising the current Test-playing captains, members of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and Referees and cricketing legends and media.

Each Academy member must now cast a 3-2-1 vote (three votes being the greater value) which will be collected and totalled.

The award winner in each category will be the player with the highest number of votes. In the event of a tie, a count-back system will apply.

The results will be kept secure and confidential until announced on the night.

The ICC Awards selection panel will also convene to select the ICC Test Team of the Year, and the ICC ODI Team of the Year.

They will be made up of the best individual players from all international teams in each form of the game.

In selecting the team, the selection panel must ensure that it is a well-balanced side, and is capable of playing a winning match. Each Team of the Year will include a nominated captain.

Many of the world's best players will attend the Awards ceremony on 11 October where a total of eight awards will be presented on the night:

Further details and information on the ICC Awards is available from the ICC's official website, www.icc-cricket.com.