Brendon McCullum wins International Performance award
New Zealand opening batsman Brendon McCullum has won the ICC Twenty20 International Performance of the Year in recognition of his 116 not out off 56 balls against Australia in New Zealand.
This is the third year the award has been given to recognise the most impressive performance by a player in Twenty20 Internationals during the 12-month voting period and it continues to mark the advent of this exciting format of the game at international level.
On 28 February 2010, during the Black Caps? Twenty20 International match against Australia at Christchurch, McCullum smashed 116 not out off 56 balls, in a performance that included 12 fours and eight sixes. He then helped his side to victory when the match went down to a one-over eliminator to decide the result.
The award rounds off a good year of Twenty20 International cricket for McCullum who featured in 14 matches for New Zealand scoring 411 runs at an average of 37.36.
According to the LG ICC Awards? 25-person voting academy McCullum?s effort was the most impressive performance of the voting period from 24 August 2009 to 10 August 2010.
It beat competition from Australia?s Michael Hussey for his 60 not out off 24 balls against Pakistan in the ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010 semi-final in St Lucia; South Africa?s Ryan McLaren for his 5-19 against West Indies in Antigua on 19 March 2010 and Sri Lanka?s Mahela Jaywardena for his two performances at the ICC World Twenty20 2010 ? 100 off 64 balls against Zimbabwe in Guyana and 98 not out in 56 balls against West Indies in Bridgetown.
McCullum was unable to attend in person to collect his award due to playing commitments with the New Zealand side in Bangladesh.
The 29-year-old said upon hearing of his victory: ?That score is my highest in a Twenty20 International and on the day everything just seemed to go right for me. I feel honoured that the voting academy felt my performance was the best amongst some other extremely strong candidates for the award in the form of Mahela, Mike and Ryan?.
The Twenty20 International Performance of the Year was one of 12 individual and team honours handed out during the LG ICC Awards in association with FICA. The event, held at The Grand Castle, Bengaluru recognises cricket?s star performers over a 12-month period.
Based on the period between 24 August 2009 and 10 August 2010, the LG ICC Awards 2010 take into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.
That period includes such high-profile events as the ICC Men?s and Women?s World Twenty20 2010 in West Indies, the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in South Africa and the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 2010 in the Netherlands, as well as several bilateral Test and ODI series.
The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its seventh year and this year is being held in Bengaluru. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009) and Dubai (2008).