New Zealand wins ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for second year in a row
The New Zealand cricket team was named as the recipients of the Spirit of Cricket Award at the LG ICC Awards celebration in Bengaluru tonight.
In total, this is the third time New Zealand has won this award and the second year in a row. It is presented to the team which, in the opinion of the Emirates Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and Match Referees and the 10 Full Member captains, has best conducted itself on the field within the spirit of the game.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori was unable to collect the award on the night due to playing commitments in Bangladesh.
Upon receiving the news in Bangladesh, Vettori said on behalf of his team: “It’s great to win the ICC Spirit of Cricket award for the third time and I am proud to lead a team that has been deemed once again to be the side that has most adhered to the spirit of cricket.
“The team I have led over the past year has without a doubt shown great sportsmanship and played the game of cricket in the right way by always respecting our opponents and those who officiate and look after us in the sport.
“I would be thrilled if to go alongside our award and Brendon McCullum’s that we win the series that we are playing here in Bangladesh.”
This spirit is described in the preamble to the laws of cricket: “Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its laws but also within the spirit of the game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself.”
The preamble goes on to say: “The spirit of the game involves respect for:
Your opponents
Your own captain and team
The role of the umpires
The game’s traditional values
The award has previously been won twice by Sri Lanka (2007 and 2008), England won it in 2005 and 2006 while New Zealand took the honour at the inaugural ICC Awards in 2004 and again last year in Johannesburg.
New Zealand was one of several teams that demonstrated the spirit of cricket to great effect over the past 12 months and it defeated India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe to win this award.
The Spirit of Cricket Award was one of 12 individual and team honours handed out during the LG ICC Awards in association with FICA. The event, held at The Grand Castle, Bengaluru recognises cricket’s star performers over a 12-month period.
Based on the period between 24 August 2009 and 10 August 2010, the LG ICC Awards 2010 – presented in association with FICA – take into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.
That period includes such high-profile events as the ICC Men’s and Women’s World Twenty20 2010 in West Indies, the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in South Africa and the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 2010 in the Netherlands, as well as several bilateral Test and ODI series.
The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its seventh year and this year is being held in Bengaluru. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009) and Dubai (2008).