Nortje, Ismail bag big awards at CSA’s honours evening

Cricket South Africa acting CEO Pholetsi Moseki declared his delight on Monday night as fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Shabnim Ismail were named as CSA’s men’s and women’s players of the year.

Ismail won the award for a second time, following her triumph in 2015, and joins Marizanne Kapp (twice) and Dane van Niekerk (three times) as the only multiple winners of the main women’s award.

Nortje claimed the Player of the Year honours just a season after being named Newcomer of the Year, the first player to achieve this feat.

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“Genuine fast bowling remains one of the great and thrilling sights of our game and we are indeed blessed to continue to produce world leaders in this demanding skill. Anrich and Shabnim have set the highest standards that we expect from our icon Proteas players,” Moseki said in a statement released after the virtual awards were announced on social media.

“Anrich’s international career to date has been remarkable. In the space of a year he has gone from being named our International Newcomer of the Year to our overall Player of the Year – an incredible achievement. The pandemic has restricted him to just 10 Test matches to date in which he has taken 39 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls, and his strike rate of 48.50 is comfortably within the world’s leading bowlers.

Shabnim Ismail was a big winner at CSA’s awards night on Monday. Picture: Gallo Images

“Shabnim is the fastest bowler on the women’s international circuit, and she has been the leader of our Proteas attack for a long time now. She is the only South African to have taken 100 wickets in the T20 International format and she recently passed the significant landmark of 150 wickets in ODI cricket. She has played a huge role in enabling our Proteas to break into the top group of countries.”

Nortje was also voted Test Cricketer of the Year, SA Fans’ Player of the Year and shared the Players’ Player of the Year honour with Aiden Markram, while another pace bowler, Wiaan Mulder, was given the Delivery of the Year award for his dismissal of Kusal Mendis, caught by Rassie van der Dussen (who was named the ODI Cricketer of the Year), in the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Ismail also enjoyed a feast of awards, claiming the T20 Cricketer of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year prizes.

Lizelle Lee (ODI Cricketer of the Year) and Tabraiz Shamsi (T20 Player of the Year) were also the cream of the crop in the white-ball formats after seasons filled with runs and wickets respectively.

Adrian Holdstock was once again the Umpire of the Year.

The domestic awards were asymmetrically lopsided in favour of the Dolphins, who claimed five of the eight honours with Keshav Maharaj named both Most Valuable Player and Players’ Player of the Year.

Award winners

SA Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Anrich Nortje

SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Shabnim Ismail

Test Cricketer of the Year: Anrich Nortje

One-Day International Cricketer of the Year: Rassie van der Dussen

T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Tabraiz Shamsi

Proteas Women’s One-Day International Cricketer of the Year: Lizelle Lee

Proteas Women’s T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Shabnim Ismail

SA Men Players’ Player of the Year: Aiden Markram & Anrich Nortje

SA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year: Shabnim Ismail

SA Fans’ Player of the Year: Anrich Nortje

KFC Streetwise Award: Lizelle Lee (innings of 132 v India)

CSA Delivery of the Year: Wiaan Mulder (dismissal of Kusal Mendis, SA v SL, 2^nd Test)

International Newcomer of the Year: George Linde

Women’s International Newcomer of the Year: Black Day kit

Domestic

4-Day Domestic Series Cricketer of the Season: Aiden Markram (Titans)

One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season: Robbie Frylinck (Dolphins)

T20 Challenge Cricketer of the Season: Sisanda Magala (Lions)

Coach of the Season: Imraan Khan (Dolphins)

Domestic Players’ Player of the Season: Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins)

Domestic Newcomer of the Season: Neil Brand (Titans)

SACA Most Valuable Player Award: Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins)

Makhaya Ntini Power of Cricket Award: Ottniel Baartman (Dolphins)