Aus dominates 8th Ceat Intl Cricket Rating awards

Aus dominates 8th Ceat Intl Cricket Rating awards

MUMBAI: World Cup champions Australia took home most of the spoils at the 8th Annual Ceat International Cricket Rating Awards for the year 2002-2003. The awards considered to be the equivalent of the Oscars for the international cricket fraternity recognise performance across eight categories. 
The awardees will be honoured with trophies and prize money worth rupees two million tonight at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai.
Australia's one day skipper Ricky Ponting was voted the cricketer of the year. Not surprisingly Australia who demolished India in the World Cup final in March were adjudged the team of the year. The two sides go head to head tomorrow at the Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai) as part of the ongoing triangular series that also features the black caps New Zealand.
There was good news for India too at the ceremony. Spinner Harbhajan Singh and opening batsman Virendra Sehwag were adjudged best bowler and fielder respectively. Although he was on the losing side Sachin Tendulkar was voted the Ceat Cricketer of the World Cup. The lifetime achievement award went to Vijay Hazare.
The panel of judges included ex-cricketers Ajit Wadekar and Sanjay Manjrekar and journalists Bombay Times' Ayaz Memon and Lokendra Pratap Sahi.