4 Indian players you might not know have won an ICC award
Since their inception in 2004, the ICC awards have been the most prestigious award ceremony in international cricket. The ICC selection committee is behind selecting the final nominees for every category. The ultimate winner is then decided by votes of a particular set of people that includes former international cricketers, umpires, and referees among others. The judging period is between September of the current year and September of the next year. Earlier the voting period used to be from 1 August of the current year to 31 July of the next year. The inaugural ceremony gave away awards in six different categories. Over the years, the categories have increased to nine in number. Women's cricket was brought into the reckoning for the first time in 2006.
In fourteen editions of the awards so far, eleven Indian players have won awards in different categories with four of them have won more than once. But among them, there are quite a few players who you might not know have also won an ICC award. In this slideshow, we will gaze through such players.
#4 Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan made his Test and ODI debuts on India's tour of Australia in the fag end of 2003. His ability to swing the ball both ways brought him wickets more often than not. Given his skills with the ball, and the numbers to show for himself the ICC recognized him as an emerging talent. In the inaugural ICC Awards in 2004, he was awarded the 'Emerging Cricketer of the Year' trophy. During the voting period for the inaugural awards, he took 16 Test wickets at an average of 38, and 36 ODI scalps at an average of 23.19. His best figures were 4-24 against Zimbabwe in the VB Series in Australia in February of 2004.
Pathan's form deteriorated in late 2006, and he was ousted from the Test as well as ODI squads. He was not able to get his place back. Pathan is no more in selectors' scheme of things. He continues to live in the hearts of Indian cricket fans but his international career is as good as over. For a player adjudged as an emerging talent in his first year with the national team, the fall has been tragic, to say the least.