Elton Chigumbura named player of the year

Elton Chigumbura, the Zimbabwe and Mashonaland Eagles captain, was named the country's cricketer of the year at the CBZ Bank 2010 cricket awards in Harare on Friday.

"The last twelve months have been special for Zimbabwe cricket and for my career, firstly getting a county contract and being appointed Zimbabwe national team captain ... ," Chigumbura said from England, where he is playing for Northamptonshire.

Brian Lara, the former West Indies captain, was the guest of honour at the awards and the star attraction of the evening. "I played Test and one-day internationals against your national team, but what always puzzled me was your great play at the beginning of each series which turned into shambolic performances later on," Lara was quoted as saying by Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. He recounted a Test in 2003 when West Indies struggled to draw the first Test in Zimbabwe and then beat them soundly in the second.

The other cricketers to pick up awards were lesgpinner Graeme Cremer and Vusi Sibanda, who won the best bowler and best batsman awards respectively. Sharne Mayers was the female cricketer of the year while Zimbabwe A coach, Stephen Mangongo, was coach of the year for the second time in a row.

Mountaineers were the franchise of the year after winning the Stanbic Bank twenty20 as well as the Faithwear/Metbank trophies. Tendai Chatara, also from Mountaineers, was the rookie of the year as well as the most promising cricketer of the year.