ICC Awards 2011

New BCCI President N Srinivasan claimed that the only formal invitations the ICC sent were to himself and Shashank Manohar and not to the Indian Team.

Indian team manager Shivlal Yadav said that he was informed only at noon by an ICC communication officer by which time the players were already away, some shopping, some sight-seeing.

Other awardees included Alastair Cook (Test player of the year), Kumar Sangakkara (ODI player of the year), MS Dhoni (Spirit of Cricket) and Aleem Dar (Umpire of the year).

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat termed the non-attendance of the Indian team at the Awards function a "shame" and said many were left disappointed at the absence of the Indian stars.

The Indian team management and cricket's governing body struck contrasting notes about the invite to the team. The Indian team maintained that they got the invite late while the ICC says they sent the "invite weeks ago".

The 20-year-old took the accolade ahead of England duo Charlotte Edwards and Lydia Greenway and last year's winner, Australia's Shelley Nitschke.

It is the third year in a row that Aleem Dar has received the ICC award which was renamed last year after the late England umpire David Shepherd.

Tim Southee was awarded after he returned devastating figures of 5/18 in a Twenty20 match on Boxing Day against Pakistan.

Devendra Bishoo bagged the emerging player award, while Ryan ten Doeschate won the Associate and Affiliate player of the year award once again.

Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag joined M S Dhoni in the playing XI while Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir missed out.