PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 30: Quinton de Kock of the Proteas celebrates his 150 runs during the 1st Momentum ODI Series match between South Africa and Australia at SuperSport Park on September 30, 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)

Home » South Africa’s Big Winners at the International Cricket Awards – Quinton de Kock and Marais Erasmus

South Africa’s Big Winners at the International Cricket Awards – Quinton de Kock and Marais Erasmus

South Africa’s Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has been named as the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year, and Marais Erasmus was awarded the David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year. De Kock is the second South African player after AB de Villiers (2010, 2014 and 2015) and ninth overall to clinch this award. In the voting […]

By SAPeople
22-12-16 13:05
in Fab South African Stuff
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 30: Quinton de Kock of the Proteas celebrates his 150 runs during the 1st Momentum ODI Series match between South Africa and Australia at SuperSport Park on September 30, 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)

South Africa’s Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has been named as the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year, and Marais Erasmus was awarded the David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year.

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 30: Quinton de Kock of the Proteas celebrates his 150 runs during the 1st Momentum ODI Series match between South Africa and Australia at SuperSport Park on September 30, 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)

De Kock is the second South African player after AB de Villiers (2010, 2014 and 2015) and ninth overall to clinch this award.

In the voting period, ICC called de Kock’s performance “outstanding” –  he scored 793 runs in 16 ODIs with four centuries and a half-century. He averaged over 56 and held a strike-rate of just under 98. With the gloves, de Kock dismissed 15 batsmen behind the wickets.

A happy de Kock said: “To be named as the best from among so many good cricketers gives one utmost satisfaction…”

Marais Erasmus, Umpire of the Year

Marais Erasmus beat off strong competition to clinch the Umpire of the Year Award.

Erasmus, 52, who made his international debut in October 2007, and was promoted to the elite panel in 2010, said: “David Shepherd has been one of the role models for many aspiring umpires and to win the trophy named after him is something to be really proud of. It has been an excellent period of international cricket and I consider myself extremely fortunate to be part of it.”

Erasmus thanked the referees and Test captains who voted for him, but said: “I win this on behalf of all my fellow match officials.

He also thanked his “wife Adele and my sons Chris and Geo for their support and sacrifices so that I can live the dream of umpiring at the world stage, as well as my ICC coach, Denis Burns, who during the past three years guided me to become the best possible umpire that I can be.”

Test Team Inclusions

De Kock is one of three South Africans that have been named in the ICC ODI Team of the Year 2016.

He is joined by fast bowler Kagiso Rabada and batsman AB de Villiers. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir has been named as 12th man.

Only one Proteas player made the ICC Test Team of the Year – Dale Steyn. He is a veteran of the team after being chosen for the eighth time in nine years.

The big ICC winner for 2016 was India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, named as the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2016.

Cricket SA (CSA) congratulated Marais Erasmus and Quinton de Kock, and said “in addition, several other men’s and women’s Proteas have been named in the ICC Select World XI of the year in the Test match and ODI formats.

“This is a rewarding way for the calendar year to end,” commented CSA Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat. “Marais is only the fifth umpire and the first South African to be awarded the prestigious David Shepherd Trophy and it is very well deserved.”

In Other Cricketing News…

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has accepted the decision of the ICC’s Independent Commissioner, Michael Beloff QC, to uphold the decision handed down last month by the ICC match referee, Andrew Pycroft, who had then found Proteas Test captain, Faf du Plessis, guilty of ball tampering.

CSA also announced that former Proteas and Highveld Lions player Alviro Petersen has admitted to several code breaches, and has been banned for two years.

Source: ICC Cricket and Cricket SA