Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara has been named ODI Player of the Year 2011 at the LG ICC Awards in London.
During the performance period, he played 25 ODIs and compiled 1,049 runs at an average of 55.21, including one century and seven half-centuries. As wicketkeeper, he also took 36 victims comprising 26 catches and 10 stumpings. Despite that busy workload, he still managed to lead his country to the ICC Cricket World Cup final in Mumbai where they lost narrowly to home team India.
The independent voting academy of 25 highly credentialed cricket experts put Sangakkara first, ahead of such talented and in-form players as Australia's Shane Watson, Gautam Gambhir of India and South Africa's Hashim Amla.
Sangakkara was unable to attend the awards due to playing in the recently completed Test match against Australia in Pallekele. Upon hearing the news he said: "It's a great honour first of all to have been nominated for this award and a great honour to have actually won it.
"I would like to thank the rest of my teammates, they have done a great job over the years in one-day cricket and I am privileged to be part of this and led these guys for just over two years. I thank you again, I feel very very proud."
Based on the period between 11 August 2010 and 3 August 2011, the LG ICC Awards 2011 – presented in association with FICA – take into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.
For all the individual awards (with the exceptions of the Women's Cricketer of the Year and the Umpire of the Year), a long-list compiled by the selection panel was forwarded to a 25-person Voting Academy made up of former players, respected members of the media, an elite umpire and an elite match referee. They voted on a three, two, one basis (with three being the highest value) and the winners emerged.
That period includes such high-profile events as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the ICC Intercontinental Cup final, several ICC World Cricket Leagues as well as several bilateral Test and ODI series.
The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its eighth year and this year it will be held in London, England. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009), Dubai (2008) and Bengaluru (2010).
