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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 19, 2018
Kohli, Smith win top ICC Awards MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - India captain Virat Kohli had something to cheer yesterday when he was named ICC World Cricketer-of-theYear - a day after suffering his first Test series defeat as skipper in South Africa. The 29-year-old was rewarded for his prolific run in the qualification period from September 2016 to the end of 2017 when he amassed 2 203 runs - including eight centuries - in Tests, 1 818 in ODIs and 299 in Twenty20 internationals. Kohli, who also led India to the top of the world’s Test rankings during the period, received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, which team mate Ravichandran Ashwin had won last year. The top order batsman, who shone with the bat in South Africa even though his team dropped 2-0 behind in the three-Test series, was also adjudged the ODI player-ofthe-year.
“It means a lot to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for becoming the ICC Cricketerof-the-Year 2017 and also the ICC ODI Player-of-the-Year,”
Hurricanes batsman Akeem Saunders fined EC$300 on cannabis charge
RHTYSC’s Gizmos & Gadgets teams make donation to Rose Hall basketball club
ST KITTS cricketer Akeem Saunders was yesterday fined EC$300 on a charge of importation of cannabis when he appeared before Magistrate Emmanuel at the All Saints Magistrate’s Court in District B in Antigua. Saunders, who plays for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, was arrested on Monday, January 15, when he arrived in Antigua in transit to St Kitts. On his arrival, Narcotics police and others from the K9 Division discovered 13gs of cannabis in his shoe. He was subsequently charged with importation of cannabis and possession of cannabis. He was first brought to court on Tuesday, January 16, but was remanded until yesterday when he was convicted on the importation charge and reprimanded on the charge of possession. Police in Antigua said he returned to St Kitts yesterday. The 23-year-old righthand batsman has scored just over 400 runs so far in the Digicel Regional 4-Day competition this season. He scored 64 runs against Barbados on December 7 and 101 against Guyana December 14. (Sportsmax)
our for me. It’s probably the biggest of all in world cricket and two Indians getting it back-to-back makes it more special.”
Australia captain Steve Smith
Kohli, who was named captain of both the ICC Test and ODI teams for the year, said in an ICC statement. “I won that back in 2012 also but it’s the first time winning the Garfield Sobers Trophy, and it’s a huge hon-
THE Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) has decided to assist only organisations and clubs who are fully committed to making a positive difference in the lives of youths. The Club’s Gizmos & Gadgets first division and Under-21 cricket teams last Monday handed over a financial donation to the Rose Hall Town Basketball Club to assist in purchasing new basketballs for this year’s season. Club Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Hilbert Foster stated that the Rose Hall Town Basketball Club requested assistance and the request was approved immediately as the RHTYSC is fully aware of the outstanding work the basketball club was doing, not only to promote the game but also to keep youths off the road and away from a life of drugs, crime and alcohol. Foster stated they decided at an executive level to scale back on donations to cricket clubs and to assist other sport organisations based on funds available. This decision, Foster pointed out, was made because the RHTYSC has already assisted over 100 cricket clubs in Berbice
Australia’s Ashes-winning captain Steve Smith was named the Test Cricketer-ofthe-Year, having scored 1 875 runs in 16 matches at an average of 78.12, with eight hundreds and five half-centuries. Smith scored 687 runs at
with millions worth of gear, scorebooks and equipment and it was the club’s view that these clubs should start to assist themselves. The RHTYSC would continue to assist only cricket clubs which have a structured youth section and are committed to using sports as alternatives to a life on the road. Special emphasis would
an average of 137.40 against England in the Ashes series to go with three centuries in four Tests in India in early 2017.
bled and I love playing Test cricket – it’s the game that challenges your skills and your mind the most.”
India captain Virat Kohli
“It’s a great honour to win the Test Player-of-the-Year award. It’s called Test cricket for a reason and I’m very humbled to win that award,” Smith said. “I’ve had a really good year ... I am incredibly hum-
be placed on disciplines such as basketball, volleyball, football, scrabble, chess and table tennis. The RHTYSC would assist with trophies, medals, prizes and where possible, finance. The Rose Hall Town Basketball Team has no relationship with the RHTYSC but shares the Area ‘H’ Ground as its home venue. The team plays on an
ICC AWARDS Test Team-of-the-Year: Dean Elgar, David Warner, Virat Kohli (captain), Steven Smith, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ben Stokes, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell
all-weather court which was built with funds obtained in 1998 by the RHTYSC from former Guyana President, the late Janet Jagan. The team recently dominated basketball in the Ancient County and has produced one national player Kevlon Wiggins. Perry Cort expressed gratitude to the members of the Rose
Kevlon Anderson hands over the donation to Perry Cort of the Rose Hall Town basketball team.
Starc, Kagiso Rabada, James Anderson ODI Team-of-the-Year: David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (captain), Babar Azam, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, Trent Boult, Hasan Ali, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah ICC Men’s Cricketer-ofthe-Year - Virat Kohli (India) Men’s Test Cricketerof-the-Year - Steve Smith (Australia) Men’s ODI Cricketer-ofthe-Year - Virat Kohli (India) Men’s Emerging Cricketer-of-the-Year - Hasan Ali (Pakistan) Men’s Associate Cricketer-of-the-Year - Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) M e n ’s T 2 0 I P e r f o rmance-of-the-Year - Yuzvendra Chahal (6-25 v England) (India) ICC Umpire-of-the-Year - Marais Erasmus ICC Spirit-of-Cricket Anya Shrubsole (England)
Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets first division and U-21 teams for the much-needed financial donations. The official team, Cort stated, is urgently in need of basketballs to practise and play matches and the donation would enable purchase of same. The RHTYSC has committed to giving more financial assistance to the team in 2018 while the Club would also engage the basketball team in discussions later in the year about upgrading the all-weather court. Floodlights will shortly be installed with funding obtained by the RHTYSC from the Region 6 Regional Democratic Council. The Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets U-21 and first division teams are led by Kevlin Sinclair and Shawn Pereira respectively and include players like Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Eon Hooper, Clinton Pestano, Jason Sinclair, Junior Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Keith Simpson, Sylus Tyndall, Chanderpaul Govindan and Collis Butts. Both teams plan to host at least 50 personal development projects in 2018.